Pokemon Rangers: Shadows of Almia
by TkaiaWolf
Summary: Kate is a new Ranger at the Ranger School. She is looking forward to a career as a Ranger, but she has no idea what Team Dim Sun has in store for her. With the help of her friends, Keith, Rythmi, and Ben, can she save the world, and come out of it alive?
1. Chapter 1: The Inscrutable Team School

**Ok, so first fanfic! I'm going to be writing from Kate's point of view, obviously. And, before you ask, I am going to do Guardian Signs, and an original storyline. Please R & R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters or creatures in this story. Don't sue me.**

Chapter One

The Inscrutable Team School

"Pika?" The little yellow Pokemon looked up at me, adoration in it's gaze. I smiled, and scratched him behind the ears. Pikachu purred slightly. Then he suddenly turned around, and ran towards the back of the room, into the shade. I tensed as I heard someone from the shadows laugh.

"Kekekeke... That was quite an impressive capture." A man in a blue uniform walked out of the shadows, Pikachu on his shoulder and his blue cap pulled low over his eyes, giving him a sinister look. "We confer upon you the school Styler in commemoration of this event. You have made it into our secret army, the inscrutable Team School!" He laughed maliciously again. I gave him a confused look.

"Huh-what? I thought this was the Ranger School entrance exam!" I said, taking a step back. Had I walked in the wrong door? Then the door behind me opened.

"Oh, please, Mr. Kaplan, don't terrorize my students like that!" A pretty woman around thirty with a crisp, professional suit and neatly trimmed, shoulder-length red hair walked in, her eyes narrowed sternly. Kaplan sighed.

"Sorry, Ms. April. The timing was too good to miss." He said before turning to me, grinning sheepishly. "Well, let me welcome you to the Ranger School! You passed our entrance exam with flying colors." Kaplan said. Ms. April walked up to me, the sternness in her manner vanishing.

"Hello. I'm Ms. April. And you're Kate, correct?" She asked, smiling friendlily. I smiled back.

"Yup, that's me! I'm really hoping to be a Ranger some day!" I said. I wasn't anything special- 14 years old with light brown hair in two spiky buns, slightly tanned skin from playing outside all the time, and greenish-hazel eyes. Ms. April smiled.

"Follow me, I'll take you to your classroom." She said, leading me out of the building.

"Have fun in school!" Mr. Kaplan called, the Pikachu adding it's cries. Ms. April led me to the larger schoolhouse with a huge bell on top, which I guessed was for announcing the start and end of class.

Ms. April walked into the classroom on the left. "Sorry to keep you waiting, and good morning, class!" The students gave their greeting in unison. "Now, as I told you yesterday, we have a new student today." The rest of her words were drowned out by the outbreak of talking.

"Is it a boy? Or a girl?" Someone asked.

"Are they cute? Cool? Or look like a celebrity?" Another questioned.

"Alright, enough class. You can see for yourself. Let me introduce our new student, Kate Raymond!" I walked in, smiling nervously. I was so nervous I could barely even walk.

"Um, hi, I'm Kate, and I'm hoping to be a Ranger someday." I said, blushing. A guy in the front row with spiky red hair snickered. I shot him a look, but he just grinned at me. Ms. April frowned at him.

"Why the huge grin, Keith?" She asked, then turned to me. "Okay, Kate, you can have the seat next to Keith right there." I nodded and sat down. Keith smiled at me mischievously. "Alright, enough treating you like a new transfer student. From now on, you are all my students, whom I can take pride in teaching. Let's all work hard to achieve your dreams of becoming Rangers, Operators, and Mechanics!" The class cheered.

"Okay, so Kate, let's just teach you the basics." Ms. April said. "And everyone should pay attention to this as review! So, the School Styler is a simplified version of the regular Styler. It let's you capture Pokemon by conveying your feelings of friendship. Once those feelings are fully conveyed, the Pokemon is Captured, and it's Capture Complete. Oh, and it might be a good idea to use save machines every so often. You type in what's happened to you so far, and the machine records it. It's a good way to store information so you don't forget, or so you can go through it easier. Don't yawn with your mouth wide open, Keith!" She snapped suddenly. Keith jumped and sat up from his slouching position. I snickered, and he stuck his tongue out at me.

Ms. April turned to a girl with blond hair and blue eyes across the isle from me. "I've decided to make this a free-study period. Rythmi, could I ask you to show Kate around the school?" The blond girl nodded. Ms. April left the room, and all the kids gathered around me, all asking questions at once.

"Hey, newbie, I forgot your name, but how long did it take you to capture Pikachu?" Keith asked with a smug expression on his face. "Like an hour?"

"Oh, don't mind Keith. He's just being a show-off." The blond girl, Rythmi, said. "Instead, you should pay attention to me. I'll be showing you around the school. By the way, I don't want to be a Ranger," She said once we were in the hall, away from all the kids. "I want to be an Operator, so when Keith's a Ranger I can order him around like my slave. Just kidding!" We laughed. "In here's the other classroom, taught by Mr. Kincaid." We walked in to a strong smell of perfumed hairspray. I barely kept from gagging.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" A man with blond hair kept in an impossible curl and a fancy suit asked from the front of the room. He was glaring at us like we had committed a crime much worse than walking into a class.

"Sorry, Mr. Kincaid, but Kate here is a new student, and I'm showing her around." Said Rythmi. "That's Mr. Kincaid. He get's his hair to stay like that with a whole lot of hairspray. I think he's a little too strict. I mean, his pet phrase is 'No running in the hallways!' Seriously." She whispered in my ear. I nodded in acknowledgment.

"So, you're the new student, eh? Well, I have two rules for you that will help you in life." He said imperiously, straightening a book on his desk that was titled How to Prevent Running in the Hallways, which seemed a little odd. "One; Don't cast suspicion on others without proof. Two; No running in the hallways! Follow these rules, and you will always succeed!" At that minute, he made eye contact with me, his eyes full of heavily veiled hatred. I blinked, and looked away. As we walked out of the classroom, I glanced behind me, but Kincaid had turned his attention back to the class. But I shivered as I remembered those eyes.

I would have to watch out for Mr. Kincaid.

"So, this is the Library," Rythmi smirked at me. "Also known as Keith's nap room." We laughed. "That boy back there is Isaac. He's super smart, but in Mr. Kincaid's class. Sometimes he goes off somewhere, though. Hey, Isaac!" Ryhtmi greeted him when we got to him. He looked up. He had blond hair in a neat mushroom cut, and had a lab coat and glasses.

"I was doing ten digit multiplication when you interrupted me." He laughed when I stammered an apology. "It's okay. It won't be hard to start over. You're the new kid, Kate, right?"

"Yeah. You're in Mr. Kincaid's class?" I asked. He grinned.

"Yeah. He gave me permission to study on my own during class." He said, smiling sheepishly. "I hope you enjoy your time at the Ranger School." We said goodbye and left him to his multiplication.

"Hey." A guy with light brown hair and blue eyes walked up. "You're the new girl. Um, Kate, right?" I nodded. He grinned. "I'm Ben. Welcome to the Ranger School! Hey, um, we can, you know, hang out sometime, if you like."

"Sure! I'd love to!" I said. He grinned relievedly.

"Great! So, maybe we could hang out during break?"

"Or now. Rythmi's giving me a tour. You could join us, if you like." I said. Rythmi smiled and nodded.

"Sure!" Ben said. "I'm aiming to be a Ranger. My sister is Solana, so I guess I got a lot to love up to."

"Your sister's the Ranger who defeated the Go-Rock Quads? Cool!" Said Rythmi. "I bet you'll be as good as her one day." Ben looked surprised, but gratified, at the praise. I said nothing. I just wished I had a sibling at all.

"The Staff Room's in there, and the basement's down there." Said Rythmi, pointing at another door, then some stairs going down. "Up here's the dorm/mess hall/hang out." She led me up a staircase to a large room with two doors and lots of tables and benches. A plump woman with brown hair and a friendly looking face was sweeping. "That's Janice. She's the caretaker here, and she's like everyone's mom. We shouldn't interrupt her while she's cleaning, though. Through here is the girl's dorm. The boy's is through the other door." We went through a pink door into a pink room with bunk beds. Rythmi pointed to a bunk in the back right corner. "That's my bed, and you sleep above me." We went back downstairs.

"Hey, thanks for showing me around the school, Rythmi, Ben. It's really nice of you." I laughed. "I was so nervous when I first walked into the classroom. I had gotten this ridiculous idea fixed in my head that no one would like me."

"No way! You're so nice, how could anyone not like you?" Rythmi said, smiling. Ben nodded in fervent agreement. Then the bell rang. "That's the bell, we can go outside now!" She led me out onto the grounds. "That building over there's where Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Claire teach us how to capture and clear targets." Rythmi frowned. "Have you noticed how 'Kaplan' sounds like 'capture' and 'Claire' sounds like 'clear'?" I shrugged. "Yeah, it's a little odd. Anyway-"

"Oh, please help me! The Bidoof are running wild!" We whirled around to see Janice running franticly after some Bidoof. Someone by the door laughed. Keith walked out.

"I wondered what all the ruckus was." He said mildly. Rythmi stomped her foot in anger and glared at him.

"Oh, Keith, don't just stand there! Help Kate and Ben capture the rest of these Pokemon!" She yelled at Keith. He smirked and walked over.

"Hey, newbie, whatever your name is, I challenge you to a capture race! You too, Ben. Let's see who can capture more Pokemon. Start... Now!" We all ran off in different directions. After a few minutes, we lined up with our Bidoof.

"I caught four, which means you caught three, Ben, and newbie got two. So I win!" Keith said, doing a flip and landing in a pose. His Ranger pose was a little show-offish, but not uncool.

"Oh, thank you Keith, Ben and... Kate? And to the leader of the Bidoof... I'm sorry I stepped on your tail. I'll whip up some extra yummy treats for you guys, okay?" Janice led the Bidoof back into the building. Keith turned to me.

"Anyway, I'd rank your captures at about a 65 out of 100. 75 out of 100 for you, Ben. But still I was impressed. Nice capturing, uh... Kate!" Rythmi stared at him in disbelief, then started hitting every part of him she could reach. "Ow! Hey, Ryth, lay off! Seriously!"

"Oh, you Keith, you knew Kate's name all along, didn't you? I can't believe you!" Rythmi yelled, still hitting him. Ben and I were laughing out loud.

"Alright, Ryth, lay off, okay?" I said. Ben and I pulled her off of Keith, who glared at her. "So, is there any more to the tour?" I asked before either of them could attack. They stopped glaring at each other.

"No, there's still Ascension Square left. We have a special Outdoor Class there once a year. Ours is in a few months." Said Rythmi, pointing to a staircase to the southwest. Keith got up off the ground, dusting himself off. He grinned impishly.

"Mind if I tag along?"

"Sure." I replied. Keith, Ben, and Rythmi led the way down the stairs. At the bottom was a small meadow jutting out into the sea with a pier and a huge stone monument. "Wow." I said, staring at the statue.

"Mr. Lamont told us at if you make a pledge on the Pledge Stone, it's sure to come true." Said Rythmi, staring at the stone. Then she turned to me. "Well, that concludes Rythmi's Tour of Amazingness and Wonder! Hey," She suddenly looked shy. "You... Want to be friends?"

"Hey, don't bother with Rythmi, be friends with me, okay?" Keith said before I could reply. I looked back and forth between them.

"Look, I don't care who you hang out with as long as I can hang too, okay?" Ben said, laughing.

"Why can't I be friends with all of you?" I asked. They stared at me, then at each other.

"I guess we could call a truce." Said Keith, holding out his hand to Rythmi, who nodded, then shook it. Ben smiled and shook hands with both of them. They smiled at me, and we walked back to the schoolhouse.


	2. Chapter 2: The School at Night

**So, next chapter! Sorry for the wait, lots of homework!**

**And, BTW, to the ONE PERSON who reviewed, you're right, it is a bit dull at the beginning. I might go back and redo that chapter when I have time. I always have trouble with the beginning. And for everyone else R&R!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters. Please don't sue me.**

Chapter Two

The School at Night (and Other Creepy Scenarios)

"Hey," Rythmi walked up to me. I was sitting up in my bunk, reading a book. "Just finished writing to my little brother. You got any family to write to?" She asked out of innocent curiosity, but I still felt a stab of pain.

"Nope. My parents died in a fire at their work when I was two, so I went to live with my grandpa. He died a week before I came here." I said, trying to keep my tone casual, but my voice still quivered despite all my efforts. Rythmi shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"Ah..." She paused, then moved on to ask how I'd liked my first day of school, which I appreciated. If she'd said she was sorry, or even looked at me sympathetically, it would've felt fake. It always did whenever anyone made those well-meaning comments, like "Oh, I'm so sorry. This must be so hard for you." As if I didn't already know that. Gee, thanks.

"It was great. Thanks for giving me a tour." I said, climbing down from my bunk after marking my place in my book.

"No prob." Rythmi replied. Suddenly she gave me a mischievous grin like the one Keith had given me earlier. "Hey... Let's sneak out."

I had nothing better to do, so I followed her out into the mess hall. Keith, Ben, and another student were waiting there. Keith had his arms crossed, and was tapping one foot. Ben was sitting at a table, tapping his fingers. When Keith saw us, he rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. "Late as usual, Rythmi. Kept us waiting. We had to hide under the tables when Janice came by!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Rythmi hissed at him. "I had to finish a letter to my brother. But we're here now, so are you going to complain or get the Initiation ceremony started?"

"What ceremony?" I asked.

"Don't worry, it's just an Initiation Ceremony. You know, to test your bravery." Ben said lightly. "Ryth, Keith, and I all did it our first night."

"The rules are simple. The four of us have hidden our Stylers in four rooms of the School; Ms. April's classroom, Mr. Kincaid's classroom, the Staff Room, and the Library. Your goal is to gather up the four Stylers and put them in front of the door to Kincaid's lab, in the basement." Rythmi grinned. "It's a school, so it's not like anything could hurt you, but it's still too dangerous to go alone, so the person sitting next to the Initiate has to go with her!" She glanced slyly at Keith.

"Gah! You mean me..." He said, flushing slightly. "We'd better get going." We turned to head down the stairs.

"No detours, you two!" Ben called, causing us both to blush. They giggled as we rushed down the stairs and into the dark hallway. I was a about to go into Ms. April's room first, when Keith suddenly cried out.

"WAUGH!" He yelled, stumbling back. "Th-there's something there!" A Bidoof came out of the shadows to inspect the source of the yell, cocking it's head and chittering curiously. I captured it with ease. "Oh... It's only a Bidoof. Heh heh." He turned to me, smiling embarrassedly. "Thought I saw something."

"You're afraid of the dark!" I said, realizing the truth. Keith tried to protest, but I cut him off. "Oh, admit it! You absolutely freaked when you saw that Bidoof, and you went all pale when you heard you'd have to come with me."

Keith glared at me. "If you ever tell anyone, I swear I'll-"

"No worries. Your secret's safe with me. It's just... Gees, Keith, star rookie of Ms. April's class, future Top Ranger, afraid of the dark?" He punched my arm. I laughed. "Hey, truce, truce!"

We continued on to Ms. April's classroom. A bunch of crates lied everywhere. "Okay, the hint for this room is-What wasn't here before? Gees," Keith said, shuddering. "Even our own classroom looks creepy at night." I saw his eyes flick to the crate at the back, and crushed it with the Bidoof who'd scared Keith before. Sure enough, a School Styler lay beneath. I tried to pick it up, but Keith snatched it first. "Hey, it's mine, isn't it?" He said when I glared at him. We proceeded to Kincaid's class.

A bunch of Pokemon were in there. The blue School Styler was in the back. "Kincaid's class... Hurry up and find that Styler." Keith said, looking nervously at the Zubat. I ran between the desks, nimbly avoiding a Zubat, and grabbed the Styler. Once I had it, we went back into the hallway, and proceeded to the library.

There were more crates, blocking the pathway between the shelves and tables. I went back out and captured the Bidoof again, then smashed the crates. I went to the table where the Styler lay, but it was just out of reach. I crushed another crate and went around. "One more to go... Let's hurry, this's creeping me out..." Keith muttered, following me into the Staff Room.

"Your hint for this room is- The Styler we hid here doesn't stay still. You know what I mean, right?" A Pichu stood at the far side of the room. I recognized it by it's longer than average tail as Speedy. On our way back to class after the tour, Keith pointed him out as the fastest Pokemon in the school. I snuck around from behind him, but he noticed me and ran. I sprinted after him, looping my Styler around him whenever I was close enough. Finally I captured him. He shyly offered me a School Styler, and I released him.

"Okay... Now we just have to put them in the basement... Let's just get this over with." Keith said, shivering slightly. I led the way down the stairs Rythmi had pointed out earlier. A row of crates blocked the way, followed by a row of flimsy looking fences. "Huh-what? I've never seen fences like these around the school before!" Keith said, annoyed. I ran back and recaptured the Bidoof, then smashed the crates.

I scanned the fence with my Styler. "It says it needs a Cut factor of one." I glanced at a Zubat lurking in the shadows. "You don't suppose..." I captured it. Sure enough, it had one Cut factor. "Perfect! Zubat, could you destroy that fence for me?" He gave a shrill cry and slashed it with his wing. I thanked him, then proceeded to the end of the hallway.

"Hey, Kate, have you been hearing something? Like strange noises?" Keith asked nervously. I shook my head and kept walking until we came to a door. "Here's the lab. Plunk the Stylers down here, then we can-wait. This time I definitely heard something." Then, out of nowhere, a bunch of wispy purple Pokemon appeared. "AUGH! Ghost!" Keith yelled.

"It's just some Ghastly! Calm down!" I hissed under my breath, trying to concentrate as I captured them. They kept disappearing as I drew rings around them. Finally, they were captured. I released them.

"Oh... Ghastly... Right... Heh heh." Keith muttered weakly. Suddenly, the door burst open, causing Keith to yell again.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING HERE!" Mr. Kincaid screamed. This time, we both yelled and ran. "And no running in the hallways!" He called after us, then slammed the door.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs to the dorms, we paused to catch our breath. "That was too close." I gasped out. Keith, still out of breath, gave me a "Ya think?" look. "Let's get back to the dorms." I suggested, and we both went back upstairs. Rythmi and the others were waiting expectantly.

"You got them! What was that yelling I heard earlier?" Rythmi asked, accepting her Styler.

"Kincaid caught us outside his lab. We thought he was going to kill us!" Keith said, wiping his brow dramatically. "We made it out okay, but if he'd seen who it was, he would've skinned us alive. He already hates me for switching out his hairspray with pink spray paint."

"You did what?" I asked, laughing.

"Don't worry, he has no proof, but he thinks I did it." Keith laughed. "I remember watching him strut down the hallway, all bravado as usual, with everyone laughing. When Ms. April pointed it out to him, he ran down the hall, screaming like a little girl. Mr. Lamont had to hire a substitute to cover for Kincaid, he was too embarrassed to show his face."

We were all cracking up by now. "Well, I'm going to bed." I said, still laughing. "Night!" They all said goodnight and went to their dorms. Stretching out on my bed, I smiled contentedly and fell asleep


	3. Chapter 3: Outdoor Class

**YAY MORE REVIEWS!**

**To SakraTheHedgie, I might bring Summer in, but I have something different planned for Guardian Signs… Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters, creatures, or plotlines. Don't sue me.**

Chapter Three

Outdoor Class

"Alright, students," Ms. April said. "As you know, today is Outdoor Class." There was some excited muttering at this. About a month had passed since the Initiation Ceremony, and Outdoor Class had been approaching with increasing anticipation.

"Ms. April!" Rythmi said with her hand raised. "Keith told me that he thought up 38 questions for the Outdoor Class teacher!" She glared accusatorially at Keith, while he grinned sheepishly. The class giggled.

"Well, how enthusiastic!" Ms. April said, laughing as well. "Now, you know the way to Ascension Square. Meet me there in five minutes!" Ms. April left the classroom, the other kids trickling behind her, talking excitedly amongst themselves.

Keith, Ben, and Rythmi gathered around me. "Yahoo! I've waited so long for Outdoor Class!" Keith said, punching his fist in the air before running out after Ms. April.

"Hey, wait up, Keith!" Ben glanced at me exasperatedly. "See you guys at Outdoor Class." He said before rushing after Keith

Rythmi snickered. "Did he really just say 'yahoo'? He is way too pumped up for this. Hey, Kate, I'm going on ahead. You remember where Ascension Square is, right?" I nodded, and she jogged on ahead. I ran all the way to Ascension Square, where the rest of the class was waiting, talking excitedly.

"Hey, Kate, what took you? Outdoor Class is about to get started!" Keith said, so excited that I was surprised he could keep from jumping up and down. Rythmi and Ben were no better. For that matter, neither was I. An actual Ranger had come to tell us what it was like to be a Ranger! It was pretty exciting!

"I think the Ranger's here already!" Said Ben, craning his head to get a look at the Ranger. He was tall, gangly, and had an enormous afro. He had bright blue eyes, and a friendly expression.

"Well, it appears as if everyone's here." Said Principle Lamont. "Let's get this Outdoor Class started!" Everyone cheered. "This is Crawford. He's a graduate of this Ranger School. Now he's a Pokemon Ranger at the Veintown Ranger Base."

"Nice to meet you, everyone!" Crawford said. We all greeted him enthusiastically. A Budew jumped out of his backpack. "This here's my Partner Pokemon, Budew." Then, a Swellow, Bellosom, Cherubi, and Combee flew out of nowhere. "And these are my friend Pokemon.

"Wow." Someone murmured.

"So cool!" Amy, a total Ranger fangirl who wore may too much makeup, screamed.

Ms. April stepped foreword. "Hi, Crawford! It's been a long time! But that giant explosion of an afro..." Ms. April looked at Crawford's hair uncertainly. "I think I liked your hairstyle the way it was before. It makes me nervous to see that kind of overgrowth of anything." She said, causing the class to laugh. "But that's enough of that. We're all here, so let's begin! Time for Outdoor Class's main event: The Question-and-Answer Session of Terror! Let the questioning begin!"

"Crawford, why did you become a Pokemon Ranger?" One boy asked.

"Well, it's because I love Pokemon." Said Crawford. "I wanted to become friends with them. You know, to bond with them. Besides, it's a cool job!"

"That's the same way I feel!" The boy said excitedly. "I'm glad I asked you!"

"Oh! Oh! I have a question!" One girl said, jumping up and down. "What kinds of Pokemon are difficult to capture?"

"Well, speaking for myself," Crawford replied, scratching his head, "Psychic and Ghost type Pokemon, yeah. They have this habit of going poof and disappearing during captures."

"Ghost Pokemon do that?" The girl squealed.

"Me! I'm next! My name is Rythmi!" Rythmi said, smiling shyly. "There isn't anything I'd rather do than become an Operator. Do you think I can become one? You can tell I can become one, can't you?"

"Erm, I'm only seeing you for the first time ever, so it's not like I know..." Said Crawford uncomfortably. "But... Sure thing! No problem! You'll be an Operator all right!"

"That's right!" Rythmi said, punching her fist in the air. "Those are the words I wanted to hear!"

"Are you maybe confusing our Ranger with a fortune teller?" Keith said, rolling his eyes. "Excuse me, Ranger, but what about me? Will I become a Ranger?"

"Now you're confusing Crawford with a fortune teller." I teased. He glared at me and punched my arm.

"Well, fortune-telling aside, I can tell this about you: your strong will shines through loud and proud. I'm sure you'll make it. And you, next to him... You have a strong love of Pokemon and an equally strong sense of justice. I can tell. You keep working hard, and you'll make it too. And the other boy. You have a kind heart and great spirit, important qualities in a Pokemon Ranger. Why," Crawford laughed. "You three might even have the fixings to be better Rangers than me! But that's if you can avoid spinning your wheels. You especially, guy on the left."

"Uh..." Keith said. "Is that right? I'll do the best I can!"

"Me too!" I said, grinning broadly.

"Same!" Said Ben, smiling at Crawford's praise.

"Um, okay, here's my second question-"

"No fair, Keith! One question each! Ranger Crawford's busy too!" Amy said, blushing. I rolled my eyes. I didn't approve of fangirls. Or makeup. Or anything girly, really.

"So, my question next." Another guy said. "Have you ever made any mistakes?"

"Mistakes, you ask?" Crawford said incredulously. "That's all there was when I started! Like the time I dumped juice all over my Styler. That was nasty. Or the time I tried to capture a stuffed toy... Oh, and another time, I put on my Ranger uniform over my pajamas. Hold up!" He blushed. "Don't make me tell you guys these things!" We all laughed.

"What makes you glad you became a Ranger?" Ben asked.

"I'd have to say the big smiles we get to see after helping people or Pokemon." Crawford replied thoughtfully.

"I hope I get to see smiles like that soon." Ben muttered. I grinned at him, and he smiled sheepishly back.

"That's the spirit!" Crawford said exuberantly. "Keep that spirit burning, and you'll be sure to succeed. You know, I'm looking forward to the chance of working with you folks some day! Keep a positive attitude and work hard!"

"We will!" We all replied.

"My question next! Ranger Crawford, has Ms. April ever been angry with you?" A girl asked. Ms. April had blown up at her the previous week for not turning in her homework two weeks in a row.

"I'll say she has!" Crawford said, glancing at Ms. April, who was glaring playfully at him. "She used to blow up at me once a day!" Everyone laughed.

"Now, you know that isn't true." Said Ms. April. "It wasn't once a day. It had to be at least three times a day." Everyone laughed even louder. "But that's not the whole story. Crawford was a wonderful student. He kept everyone's spirits up with his sunny personality and sense of humor." She gave the Ranger a special smile. "I always knew that he would grow to be a wonderful Ranger."

Suddenly Crawford's Styler beeped. A deep, urgent voice sounded on the speaker; "Voicemail! Voicemail! Crawford, this is Barlow. We need you to depart immediately on a mission. A Mantine off the coast of the Ranger School has been injured!" Everyone gasped. "We need you to bring it safely to the Ranger Union for treatment. We're sending Luana to you with a boat."

"Yes, sir! I see her coming now!" Crawford said. "I'll check in with you when I'm on site." He hung up the Voicemail, then turned to us. "Sorry to cut this short guys, but a Ranger's work is never done!"

A boat pulled up at the dock and sounded its bullhorn. "Come on, Crawford! Let's get going!" Someone from inside called. Crawford gave us a final wave goodbye and ran onto the boat, barely landing before it sped off.

"So cool..." Amy the fangirl murmured.

"Good luck, Crawford!" Another student called.

"Well!" Ms. April said. "That was the shortest Outdoor Class ever! But it was also the most intense, realistic Outdoor Class. That shows you what it's really like to be a Ranger, everyone!" We all cheered. "Now, since you're all worried, I'll ask the Ranger Union to update sun the Mantine's condition. Now, back to class, everyone!"

The students started to walk back to the classroom, all chattering excitedly about Outdoor Class. Keith, Rythmi, Ben, and I hung back.

"Now, that was awesome!" Ben said.

"I hope that Mantine's okay..." Rythmi said, looking out into the ocean worriedly.

"No worries, Ryth, the Ranger Union'll take great care of it." I said. "They'll heal it up in no time!" Rythmi smiled at me and nodded.

"Hey, but that Crawford was super cool, you know? He was the real deal!" Keith said excitedly. "I want to be like that some day."

"A real Ranger guaranteed that I'd become an Operator..." Rythmi said dreamily.

"Come on, Ryth. You know there are no guarantees anywhere! You've got to take what you want and make it happen yourself." Keith said, rolling his eyes.

"Deep." Ben muttered.

"You think I don't know that?" Rythmi snapped. "I know that there are no guarantees, and I'm going to make my own dreams happen, no matter what. So, what are we waiting for?"

"Um... What d'you mean?" Ben asked apprehensively.

"Let's make a pledge on the Pledge Stone, right here, right now, promising that we'll make our dreams come true. Deal?" Rythmi put out her hand. Ben, Keith, and I exchanged glances.

"Deal." We said, and put our hands on top of Rythmi's, sealing our pact.


	4. Chapter 4: Kate Raymond, Private Eye

**So, so, SO sorry for not updating! I assure you, the story's still going strong. I just finished school, so you can expect more frequent updates. Going on vacation, but can expect constant wi-fi, so we're good! And, as an apology, we have TWO, count 'em, TWO chapters up for you! Thanks for sticking with me!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of it's characters, creatures, or plotlines.**

Chapter Four

Kate Raymond, Private Investigator

"Good news, class!" Ms. April announced once everyone had gotten settled. I glanced over at the seat beside me. It was empty. Where was Keith?

"You remember the Mantine Crawford had to go and rescue?" The class muttered assent. "Well, they were able to capture it and bring it safely to the Union for medical help. Today, they released it back into the sea." The class cheered. Ms. April smiled. "Now, let's get on with the lesson.

"Alright, today we shall be studying one of the other, lesser known aspects of the Ranger Union." Said Ms. April, standing in front of the class. She walked over to stand in from of me. "Rangers handle crises, go on patrols, rescue Pokemon and people. They are as heroes were to ancient kings." She moved over to Rythmi. "But a Ranger's job would be nearly impossible if not for Operators. They do much more than just recharge Stylers. They monitor communications, advise Rangers of dangers ahead, keep Rangers updated with the latest information. They are the light that guides our Rangers." Ms. April returned to her desk. "Of course, this doesn't mean that they literally hold a flashlight for adventuring Rangers. So, to demonstrate the cooperation required between Rangers and Operators, the Ranger Union, at Mr. Lamont's personal request, has provided us with two full Ranger Stylers, equipped with the communication device that Rangers use to communicate with Operators. Now, can anyone tell me what that system is called. Rythmi?"

"It's called Voicemail!" Said Rythmi excitedly.

"Excellent, Rythmi! Now, for the demonstration, let's have Rythmi play the Operator part and Keith play the Ranger." She walked over and handed Rythmi a red Styler. One of the other kids, Miles, raised his hand.

"Um, Ms. April? Keith isn't here yet." He said hopefully. Maybe he'd get to use the Styler.

Ms. April raised her eyebrows and looked at Keith's empty desk. "You're right. Maybe he slept in?" We shrugged. "Alright, then, Kate can play the Ranger part." I happily accepted the Styler while Miles grumbled disappointedly to himself.

"Wow, this is so cool!" Rythmi squealed. "Come in, Kate! Can you hear me okay?"

"Um, Ryth, I'm right across the room. Of course I can hear you!" I said, laughing.

"Oh, right." Rythmi blushed. "So, you should get farther away, to see if it works." I nodded and was jogging towards the door when it burst open.

"No running in the classroom, either!" Mr. Kincaid yelled. I rolled my eyes, but he didn't seem to notice. "I apologize for interrupting your class, Ms. April, but might I have a word with Keith, please?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Kincaid, but Keith isn't here." Ms. April said, looking irritated that Kincaid had both interrupted her class and yelled at me.

"Ah, missing, you say? Well, isn't this suspicious..." Mr. Kincaid said, looking for all the world like he thought he was Sherlock Holmes.

"Why is that, Mr. Kincaid? Couldn't he have simply overslept, or gotten sick?" Asked Ms. April testily.

"Ah, well, that is what one would naturally assume, if you did not know what I know." He replied with irritating superiority.

"And what might that be, Mr. Kincaid?"

"That the school's store of Stylers has gone mysteriously missing, my dear Ms. April. I have already proven all of my students' innocence. But that Keith is suddenly missing, you say? Perhaps he has taken some time to stash the stolen Stylers?" Kincaid said snootily.

I was furious. "What? You think Keith stole the Stylers? Why in the world would he do that?" I yelled. Kincaid glared at me.

"Of course I do!" He spluttered. "Sneaking around at night, running in the hallways, filling my hairspray with spray paint-it is only natural that he be viewed with suspicion."

"'Never cast suspicion upon others without proof'. Isn't that what you always say?" I retorted. "Oh, forget this. I'm going to go find Keith." I stormed out of the classroom, blocking out Kincaid's indignant protests.

I ran upstairs, and asked Ben, who was doing Study Hall, if he'd seen Keith. "Not since this morning. He said he would be down in a sec. Never showed up. What's wrong?"

"Mr. Kincaid thinks that Keith stole some Stylers. I'm trying to prove him wrong." I said through gritted teeth.

"What?" Ben yelped. "But Keith would never do that! You go search outside, I'l see what I can find in here." I thanked him and walked off, cursing Kincaid under my breath. Just as I reached the stairs, the Voicemail Styler beeped at me.

"Voicemail, voicemail! Kate, this is Rythmi. Come downstairs ASAP!" Rythmi said frantically once I pressed the receive button.

"On it!" I replied, and sprinted down the stairs. Rythmi was standing near the doors, a green School Styler in her hand.

"Look. This was lying on the ground outside the doors." She held it out to me. It was shiny and clean, not a fingerprint on it. "Mint condition. This was one of the stolen Stylers." Rythmi surmised. I nodded. "Let's look outside. Maybe we'll find more clues!" I followed her out the doors.

"Oh, Kate, Rythmi! Have either of you lost your Stylers?" Janice called. Rythmi and I exchanged significant glances and walked over to her. "No, you've got yours on. I found this on the ground out here. Maybe you could take it back to the stores for me?" We took the Styler and continued to search the grounds. Over by the stairs to the gate, we heard voices shouting at each other. We ran towards them.

By the gate, we found Keith yelling at some shady looking guy holding a bunch of mint condition School Stylers. "Alright, you. Hand over the Stylers, or I'm gonna stop asking politely." Keith threatened. The shady guy was about to respond, but he spotted us.

"Backup!" He yelped. "One puny little Ranger twerp I can handle. But three? Doubtful." Rythmi and Keith glared daggers at him.

"Why are you stealing our Stylers? We need those!" Rythmi yelled.

"Puny?" Keith spluttered.

"I don't have to answer to scrawny little brat a like you!" He sneered. "Adios!" He turned and promptly ran into the tree behind him. A Slakoth fell out and landed on his head. "Wh-what? Agh! I can't see!" He ran in circles, frantically trying to get the Slakoth off his head whilst the three of us cracked up. "It's heavy! It's hot! It's stinky! Help meeeeeeee!"

"Okay, but we really should help him." I said, still cracking up.

"No, way! This guy stole our Stylers! Let him suffer!" Said Keith indignantly, gathering up the Stylers the man dropped. I glared at him, finally able to stop laughing.

"That's not what being a Ranger is all about." I said flatly, and promptly captured the Slakoth, which looked around in confusion, then climbed the tree.

"Few!" The shady guy sighed. "Y-you saved me. Thank you!"

"What's all this ruckus about?" Ms. April walked swiftly down the stairs. "Keith, where have you been? And where did you get all those Stylers?"

"It wasn't him, Ms. April, you see..." I quickly explained the situation to the teacher, while Keith and Rythmi made sure the man didn't run away.

"I see..." Ms. April said slowly, walking towards the man, who was trembling. "Now, why did you steal those Stylers, sir?" She asked, using her best disappointed teacher voice. And let me tell you, no one guilt trips like Ms. April. It's the only thing scarier than her being angry.

"Ms. Teacher Lady..." The man pleaded. "Y-you see, I always had this dream of being a Ranger. But, I had so many other dreams I wanted to follow, so I grew up without doing anything about it. So I thought if I j-just had a Styler..."

"That," Ms. April pronounced. "Is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If you wanted to become a Ranger, all you had to do was apply! The Ranger School accepts adults, too! Why, I have a man older than you in my class!" The man winced at her glare.

"P-please, Ms. Teacher Lady..." He stuttered. "I-I was also bewitched when I saw those Stylers. I m-meant to only pick up one, b-but..." Ms. April sighed.

"I get what you mean. You're greedy too, aren't you? Just like your dreams, you want it all. I suggest that you go home and think about what you really want to do." Ms. April said resignedly.

"Wh-what?" The man exclaimed. "Y-you're letting me go? Th-thank you miss!" He ran off through the gates.

Ms. April sighed. "Okay, guys, let's head back up to the school. You need to tell Mr. Lamont your story."

"So, what your saying is, Keith is innocent?" Asked Mr. Kincaid incredulously. I glared at him furiously.

"Yes, sir." I said, forcing out the last word. "Keith was trying to stop the thief from stealing the Stylers. Stupid as that might have been, he is innocent."

"That's right-wait a minute, who you calling-" Keith exclaimed.

"I see." Said Mr. Lamont. "Keith, that was a very foolish thing to do. You should have gone to a teacher first thing." Keith looked down, muttering to himself. "Be that as it may, it was a very brave thing you did. Bravery is an important quality in a Ranger, but you must also learn to accept help from others." Lamont frowned. "Keith? Are you even listening to me?"

"He didn't get away... We let him go...Dirty rotten..." Keith muttered. I rolled my eyes, and Rythmi snickered.

"Rythmi, you exhibited excellent teamwork by working with Kate to solve the mystery, and trust in your friend by proving him innocent. Those are very important qualities in an Operator. I'm sure that you will be one of the very best." Rythmi beamed under Lamont's praise. He turned to me.

"Kate, you likewise displayed exemplary teamwork with Rythmi, but your greatest quality is the trust you had in Keith's innocence. You may have broken the rules by challenging Kincaid and running out of class," I smiled sheepishly. "But under the circumstances, I'm willing to let it go. I'm confident that you will make an excellent Ranger. You three are dismissed." I smiled while Kincaid fumed.

"Keith was viewed with suspicion because his everyday conduct is so deplorable..." He muttered. "Those two brats get off without punishment..."

"Hey, Kate." Keith said as we walked out of the classroom. I turned to him. "Thanks for believing that I was innocent, and standing up to Kincaid for me. Even if you did call me stupid." He added. I laughed.

"We're friends, Keith. I'll always stick up for you, Ben, and Rythmi when things get rough. And I'll always tease you. But it doesn't mean I mean it." I smiled. "And Lamont was right about one thing. That was very brave."

"Lamont was right about two things." Keith corrected. "You'll make an excellent Ranger, Kate." I smiled as we walked back to Ms. April's class to finish the period.

"Well, I think that we've all learned something today." Rythmi said, grinning broadly. We looked at her in confusion.

"Um, don't cast suspicion on others without proof?" I suggested.

"No. Don't mess with Kate's friends, or Kate'll kick your butt." She said, smirking. Keith roared with laughter while I punched them both in the arm and told them to shut up.


	5. Chapter 5: The Important Picnic

**BTW, I noticed that many "Reading the Books" fics, or stories where the characters from the series read the books, are being deleted. I don't know if this will include write-ups like this, but, if it does, I'll be putting these up on Figment. Look it up, you'll find it, and I'll put up my username if my stories get deleted.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters, creatures, or plotlines.**

Chapter Five

The Extremely Important Picnic

"Class, as you know, today you are doing your One-Day Internships! Each of you shall be sent to somewhere in Almia to learn what it's like to be a real Ranger, Operator, or Mechanic! Do you all have your assignments?" Ms. April asked.

"Yes, Ms. April." The class chorused, some sincerely (Ben) and others sarcastically (Keith).

"Good. Now, remember, go straight there and back. No detours. No straying off the main road. And stay with your partner. Good luck, class! See you tonight!" Ms. April concluded. Everyone got up and went to find their partners. Rythmi came up to Ben, Keith, and I.

"I've got the Ranger Union, since I'm training to be an Operator." She said breathlessly. "I get to see the professionals at work!"

"I'm heading there, too. Maybe I'll get to meet Wendy. She's the flying Ranger. Her Parter's a Staraptor." Ben grinned. "It'd be so awesome to be able to fly wherever you want."

"Well, Kate and I've got the Veintown Ranger base." Keith said. "I think that's better than the Union. I mean, we get to see how Rangers in the real world work. Not just the Top Rangers who get the huge jobs. I mean, it can't all be end of the world scenarios, right?" We all laughed.

"Yeah, it'll be cool to see the Area Rangers, since that's how we'll be spending most of our careers." I agreed. "I mean, no one gets to be a Top Ranger without being an Area Ranger for a long time."

Ben rolled his eyes, grinning. "Oh, please, you guys. You're just jealous that we get to meet the Top Rangers while you just get some Area Rangers."

"Why you cheeky little-" Keith exclaimed while Ben and Rythmi laughed at the expression on his face. I glared at them, while at the same time trying not to laugh.

"Well, we'd better get going." Rythmi said, checking her watch. "Ranger Union's a ways off. We wouldn't be late." She and Ben ran off.

"We should go, too. We don't want to look bad." Keith said, and we ran off out of the school.

Keith and I were on our way out when Ms. April called out to us. "Kate, Keith! A word before you go?" We turned back. "Something you should know about the Veintown Area Rangers-they're all esteemed graduates of the Ranger School, but their also all- special in their own way. Just be ready for anything." We nodded and ran out of the school.

"'Special' huh? Wonder what that means?" Keith wondered.

"Dunno. As long as their interesting, and not, like, psychotic." I said, shrugging. Keith laughed and was about to say something when we heard a slightly twangy voice yell from over by the School gates.

"Aiiieee! Help! Somebody! Anybody! These Pokemon 'r out tah maul me!" We ran ahead to see a short, kind of scrawny man scrambling up a tree, trying to get away from some Bidoof trotting around the base of the tree. Some abandoned milk bottles lay scattered around.

"Hey, it's Little Tim, the milkman." Said Keith. "Hey, Tim! You playing hide and seek with the Bidoof!" He called jokingly. "He's terrified of Pokemon, but they all seem to love him. Maybe 'cause he always smells like milk." He muttered to me. I rolled my eyes.

"Keith? That you? Thank goodness, someone heard me! And we ain't playin'! Can't ya tell tha' these Bidoof 'r out tah maul me!" Tim cried out, trying to scramble higher up the tree as a Bidoof tried to nibble his pant leg.

"Hey look like they're playing to me." Keith muttered. "But they do seem a bit agitated."

"Alright, Tim, we'll just capture see Bidoof, and you can be on your way!" I called up to him. Keith and I each went for a Bidoof. Keith was right- they were friskier than normal, trying to tackle the capture line, but we captured them in no time. After they were released back to the school, Tim shimmied down the tree, his knees shaking.

"I'm mighty grateful to ya, kids. Them Bidoof were gonna maul me, fo' sure." He said, shaking our hands. "Now wait a minute," He said, squinting at my face. "I don't believe that we've met."

"This is Kate. She's relatively new here, she came into Ms. April's class about four months ago." Keith said.

"Well, it's mighty fine to meet ya." Tim said. "Hey, you two headin' into Veintown for your Internships?"

"That's right." I said.

"Well, if ya'll get the time, come pay ol' Tim a visit." He said, gathering up all the dropped milk bottles. "I'll put it this way-if you came, the young 'uns would be mighty glad." He waved and jogged off down the road to Veintown.

"Tim and his wife, Big Bertha, have a ton of kids." Keith explained. "Now, we really should get going."

"Wait, you two!" Ms. April came down the steps. "I saw you save Little Tim from the Bidoof. That was great work! It's things like this that'll make you two wonderful Rangers! Good luck on your Internships!"

"Thanks, Ms. April!" We said, then ran off through the gates. We were going across the bridge when we found a young girl about half way across, looking tearful.

"Hey, kiddo. What's the problem?" I asked when we'd drawn up next to her. She sniffled and tried to look around us.

"I came here to meet him, b-but..." She looked at us helplessly. "He isn't here... What'll I do...?"

"Who'd you come to meet, kid?" Keith asked. Just then, someone behind us called out, "Melody? What are you doing here?"

We turned to see Isaac and Ponte, another kid from Mr. Kincaid's class, coming across the bridge. The little girl stopped crying. "Isaac! I came to see you!" She ran up and tackled Isaac, who stumbled backwards, then hugged her.

"Melody, did you come here all on your own? I told you not to! It's dangerous to come alone!" Isaac scolded. Melody drew back, looking tearful again.

"B-but I just wanted to come see you..." She said. Isaac sighed.

"I know, Melody, but you're too young to be traveling alone." He stood up, brushing off his clothes. "Melody? I'm not mad anymore. Come on, let's get you back to Pueltown." Isaac glanced at us. "Oh, and Melody? If you get lost again, and you see any of these people, you can ask them for help. These are my friends, Kate, Keith, and Ponte. Okay?"

"Okay! Bye, Isaac's friends!" Melody said cheerfully. Isaac, Melody, and Ponte continued down the road.

"Wow. I didn't know Isaac had a sister..." I said. "C'mon. If we don't hurry, we'll be late for our Internships." Keith and I ran down the forested, windy road. Birds fluttered and chirped in the trees. A couple of jobbers greeted us, but no one else. Finally, we came out of the forest into a clearing with a small town in it. Right in front of us was a large building with the Ranger logo above the door.

"Well, here it is." Keith said, trying to look unconcerned, but his voice shaking slightly. "You aren't nervous, are you?"

"No."

"Oh!" He said, sounding surprised. "Neither am I! I was just wondering..." He trailed off, stood there awkwardly for a moment, then led the way through the door into a room that looked abandoned. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Keith called out.

"Hello? Oh, is it the Interns?" A woman with glasses and purple hair popped up from behind the Operator's desk. "Sorry, I had to bend down to get something. Come over here, so I can have a look at you." We walked nervously up to the desk. "My name's Martha, and I'm the Operator for the Veintown Ranger Base. Do your Stylers need recharging?" We shook our heads. "Good. Now, you may have noticed how the base is empty. That's because everyone had to go out on a critical Mission to Breeze Hill."

"What happened?" I asked quickly.

"Some Bidoof- oh, I can't bear to say it!" The Operator said hysterically. "But, on that matter, Barlow left me a message for you." She rummaged about under her desk for a moment, then brought out a piece of paper, like a memo. "'Welcome, the both of you! Here's a mission from the get-go! I've left an extremely important parcel with our Operator. Collect it and bring it to Breeze Hill!' That's it." She drew out a basket covered with a checkered cloth from under the desk. "Here's the parcel. Try not to swing it about too much, and never, ever turn it upside down. Good luck, you two!"

Keith made a grab for the basket, but I got there first. "What?" I asked when he made a face at me. "You know you'd just swing it all about and ruin or break whatever's in there." We left the building and took the path west of town, towards the beach.

"I would not!" Keith protested. "What d'you think's in there, anyway? Some kind of weapon? Or a tool of some sort?"

"Please." I said, rolling my eyes. "We're Rangers, not cops. If it's a critical mission, probably some Bidoof got hurt, and this is the medicine they need. Must be more than one, though." I mused, shaking the basket slightly. "Bit heavy, now that I think about it."

"Aw, is the basket too heavy for Katie-Cat?" Keith asked mockingly. I smacked him upside the head. "Okay, okay, sorry I questioned your strength. You're just as macho as I am."

"Yeah, and that's reassuring." I quipped as we came to a staircase. At the top, an old man was feeding three Pokemon.

"Pachirisu, Pachirisu, so cute, so cute!" He crooned, giving the small, white and blue Pokemon a treat. "What's wrong, what's wrong, Munchlax? You aren't saying you're hungry already?" He said with mock reprimand, handing the Munchlax what looked like his fourth snack. "Go on, go on, Starly, eat up all you like!" He said to the small bird Pokemn, handing it some food, which it nibbled on with dignity. The man looked up, noticing us for the first time. "Well, your dress tells me that you're students of the Ranger school, yes?" We nodded. "Well, then, let me give you a quiz that you'll find most enlightening. First question; what is a Partner Pokemon?"

"Easy." Keith scoffed. "A Partner Pokemon is a Pokemon that is so attached to the Ranger that it never leaves, even after preforming assists. Only fully qualified Rangers are allowed them, though." Keith added as an afterthought.

"Correct!" The man cried. "The Rangers I know all say that they met their Partners right here on Nabiki Beach. Very well, then. Question two! A Ranger can only have one Pokemon as their one and only Parter, true?"

"Nope, false!" I said.

"Correct again!" The man exclaimed. "As Rangers explore, they may find an opportunity to gain another Partner, although this is very rare, and you may only keep one Partner with you at a time." The man smiled. "Well, off with you!" We thanked him and hurried past.

"That must've been Mr. Woodward. He's the craftsman in Veintown, the best woodsmen in Almia. He also knows a lot about Pokemon." I nodded as we drew up next to a sign by a staircase.

"Breeze Hill." I read. "Looks like we're in the right place. What d'you think's going on up there?" I asked, glancing up the hill apprehensively.

"I don't know, but it must be pretty serious." Keith said nervously. He took a deep breath. "Well, let's go." We climbed the staircase, nerves growing with every step, and came over the crest of the hill to find... A picnic.

Or half of one, at least. There were four people and three Pokemon, all gathered around a blanket, chatting idly, not in any distress at all. The only thing missing was the food. I glanced at the basket in my hand. No way would they...

"I guess we should greet them." Keith muttered, looking bemused. "Erm... H-Hellomeetcha!" He said loudly, his nerves making him screw up the sentence. I snickered as the bigger man with dark skin and a Makuhita sitting next to him looked up in surprise.

"Hellomeetcha?" I giggled.

"Shut up."

"Did you just say 'hellomeetcha'?" He asked incredulously. Keith nodded, blushing furiously. Barlow laughed. "You're nervous, aren't you? No worries, nothing to fear from us Rangers, huh? I'm Barlow, the leader around here. Now, do you have the-ah, good!" He got up and took the basket. "Lunch, everybody!" He called over his shoulder. Everyone smiled and laughed at our shocked faces as we watched them pass out sandwiches.

"W-wait a minute!" Keith protested. "Lunch? The extremely important package was a picnic?" The girl with dark hair who was only a year or two older than us laughed.

"No worries, you guys. They pulled the same trick on me when I was here on internship. It's kind of Veintown tradition. I'm Luana, by the way, I just graduated last year, and this is my Buneary." The small brown Pokemon chirped a greeting.

"Hey!" Called Crawford, already halfway through his first sandwich, as was his Budew. "C'mon and sit down! Don't frown, just chow!"

"Says the guy who came up with the prank in the first place." Said the other girl with short brown hair and a tool belt that made me think she was a Mechanic. "I'm Elaine." She added as we sat down.

"Don't lay all the blame on me!" Crawford protested. "It was Barlow who was going on and on about what a great idea it was!"

"Now, don't pin this on me!" Barlow protested. The picnic proceeded similarly, everyone laughing and talking and joking around. Keith and Crawford got on especially well, having both been the school pranksters. It was well past noon when our picnic was interrupted by a young man in a bathing suit running up, looking panicked.

"Help! Somebody! Some Pokemon are attacking my girlfriend!" He cried. Barlow got up, the other Rangers tensing.

"Now, calm down, sir. Tell me what happened." He said in a soothing tone.

"My girlfriend and I were just walking along the beach when the Pokemon just went wild! They surrounded her and they won't let her go! Please, you gave to help her!" The man pleaded.

"Of course. We're on it." Barlow said. "Okay, team! Let's get rolling! You, too, rookies. Let's go!" We followed him down to the beach, where Mr. Woodward's Pokemon and two Shellos were circling a hysterical beach girl. Barlow started issuing orders.

"Oh, dear. Please, those Pokemon are usually so sweet. Why, any Ranger'd be happy to have them as a Partner Pokemon. They're that good!" Mr. Woodward fretted. I nodded to him and went down to where the Pokemon were. Barlow and Crawford each were capturing Shellos with admirable speed. Luana and Keith couldn't decide which Pokemon to capture. Eliane was making sure the girl was okay while the boyfriend hovered anxiously. Suddenly, with an angry chittering noise, the Pachirisu attacked.

I dodged her bolts of electricity, and spun the capture disc around her. After several loops, the translucent blue ball appeared around her, then disappeared, leaving a calm, if slightly confused, Pachirisu standing in the sand, glancing around. Then she saw me and chittered happily, running up to me and nuzzling my hand. I laughed and patted her head.

Off to the side, the beach girl was telling Barlow, "A huge cargo ship passed by just before the Pokemon went wild. Maybe that's what scared them?" Barlow nodded and jotted it down on his Styler save screen. Stylers had a save option, too, but you could only record small amounts of data on them, nothing huge like Save Machines, but it was good for jotting down details you didn't want to forget.

"Alright, everyone, let's release the Pokemon we captured! It's Mission Clear!" We all struck Ranger poses, and told the Pokemon they could go.

"'Kay, little guy. You can go now." I said, smiling at the Pachirisu. She stared up at me adoringly. "Uh, okay. You're released. You can go now." Barlow frowned and walked over.

"Come on, now, surely you know how to release a Pokemon?" He asked, half-joking.

"Know- of course I know how to release a Pokemon!" I spluttered, outraged, while Keith laughed. "She just-won't-leave!"

"You can't release her, huh? Hmm... I've never heard of it happening this early on, but... Perhaps this Pokemon has become attached to you, and wants to be your Partner Pokemon." Crawford suggested tentatively, scratching his afro thoughtfully.

"Well, Pachi? Is that what you want?" I asked. She chittered happily and jumped on my shoulder, nuzzling my head. The hairs on my arms stood on end because of her static electricity. "I'll take that as a ye-"

"Hold it!" Barlow said, coming over and picking Pachirisu up. "I know that you two may like each other, but you're still a trainee, Kate. You can't have a Partner until you graduate. I'm sorry, Kate, but rules are rules." Barlow said firmly when I was about to protest. Then he made the fatal mistake of looking at me while I was giving him puppy dog eyes. "Bah." He said after a while. "Fine. You can release her when you get to the school. Immediately, mind you!" He set down Pachirisu, who immediately jumped on my shoulder again.

"Thanks, sir!"

"I'm not 'sir' to you, not yet." Barlow said, smiling happily, leading the way back to Veintown. "Alright," He said, stopping outside the ranger base. "You two are good kids. You'll make great Rangers, for sure! We'd be glad to have you here at Veintown."

"Hope to be working with you!" Said Luana, hugging me.

"Ditto." Crawford laughed, high-fiving Keith.

"Same." I said, grinning.

Keith glanced at the sky. "Sunset. We should get going. The last thing we need is Ms. April getting all pissy with us. Ow!" He exclaimed when I hit him.

"Language, young Keith. The ladies always prefer a clean-mouthed man, in more ways than one! Ow!" Crawford cried out when Elaine hit him. We all laughed.

"See ya!" Keith and I said, then walked on down the path to the school. "You know, those Area Rangers are pretty cool. It'd be awesome to work with them."

"Yeah." I said wistfully. "But we have to graduate first." We drew up to the bridge. I picked Pachirisu off my shoulder. "Well... It looks like this is goodbye, for now, Pachi." Pachirisu chittered sadly.

"I hate to say goodbye to the cute little guy, but... Well, we have to." Said Keith, scratching behind her ears.

"I'll be needing a Partner in a few month's time, when I graduate, Pachi." I told her. She made a hopeful purring noise. "Now, go on. Off with you." I set her down and she ran back towards Veintown.

Keith and I were about to go back to the school when we heard a voice from behind us call, "Yoo-hoo! Wannabe Rangers!" We turned around to see a grinning Rythmi walking towards us. "How was your One-Day Internship?"

"Hey, Ryth! It was great!" I said, smiling back.

"It was awesome! We were sent on a huge Mission straightaway! It's top secret, though." Keith said, slipping into an annoyingly superior voice. "We can't tell you about it." Rythmi and I giggled while he glared at us good-naturedly.

"It was top-secret that you said Hellomeetcha out loud?" I whispered, smirking.

"Shut up." He said back. Then, laughing, we walked back through the school gates.


	6. Chapter 6: Together and Alone

**A.N.; So, it took a little longer to get this up than I had expected, so two chapters again. Thanks to the one person who subscribed! Please, PLEASE review! They keep me going, even if they are criticism! At least I know that someone's reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its characters, creatures, or plotlines.**

Chapter Six

Together and Alone

"Well, class." Ms. April sighed unhappily, then tried for a smile. "It seems like this is the last time I'll be speaking to you like this, in this classroom. Today's your Graduation Day. As you all probably have much to talk about in addition to going over your assignments together, so this is a free period. Go ahead and visit other rooms, say your goodbyes, and feel free to approach me if you have any questions. But remember, gather in the main hall when the bell sounds." Everyone ripped open their envelopes, eager to see where they went. Rythmi and Ben came over to Keith and I, looking excited.

"Fiore. I'll be training at the Ringtown Ranger Base. Their Operator is supposed to be really good!" Rythmi said breathlessly.

"I have, erm... Fiore as well. I'll be training under Lunick. That's my sister's boyfriend... Talk about awkward... But I'll get to see what it's like to be a Top Ranger, and an Area Ranger, all at once!" Said Ben happily, grinning at the prospect of going to Fiore, where his sister was.

"I got Fiore, too. Looks like we're sticking together, guys. We all have Ringtown, Fiore. And I'll be training under Solana... Hey, that's your sister, isn't it, Ben?" Keith asked, looking up from his letter.

"That's right. Awesome!" Ben replied, high-fiving Keith. "Say, where are you going, Kate?"

I took a little while to answer. "Veintown." I said finally. "I'll be training with Crawford." we were silent for a minute. "Well, at least you guys get to stick together." I said with a nervous laugh.

"Kate, don't be like that!" Rythmi said, hugging me. "We'll write you every week, every day if you like-"

"You don't have to write every day. The letters'll get boring." We laughed. "But, seriously, guys, I'll be fine."

"Aw, man. I had my heart set on the four of us going together..." Keith groaned.

"Well, we can't have everything. At least Kate'll be somewhere she knows. And you'll have Pachirisu." Ben said dejectedly.

"You're right." I sighed. "I think I'll go say bye to Isaac and Janice..." I walked out of the room. The others didn't follow me. Maybe they sensed that I wanted to be alone. I went across the hall, now adorned with flowers and streamers in the school colors, to Kincaid's room. By that time, I had gotten used enough to the smell that I didn't have to suppress an urge to plug my nose.

"Hey, Kate!" Ponte called, beckoning me over. I grinned and walked over to the desk he and Isaac were talking at. "So, school's finally out, huh? Where're you headed?"

"Veintown. Remember Crawford, from the Outdoor Class? He'll be my mentor while I'm there." I said, trying not to think too much about it. I'm going to be alone again. "You?"

"Um... Er... I can't tell you. It's, erm... It's a secret." Ponte stammered. I smiled. That was Ponte, the conflicted marshmallow boy, still can't make up his mind.

"I'm off to Altru Inc. myself." Said Isaac.

"Er... Where?" I asked, confused.

"Oh, that's right, you're not from around here, are you?" Isaac said apologetically. "Altru's the company that all of Almia's energy comes from. They're responsible for most of the technological-and energy-advances in the past couple of years. They only take the best, so I'm really lucky to get to go there right out of school."

"Awesome! So you'll be doing science? That'll fit you perfectly." I said, grinning.

"Yeah, it's pretty much my dream job." He said, laughing. "Well, good luck with Veintown!"

I walked upstairs to where Janice was saying goodbye to one of the other students. I waited for them to finish before walking up to her. "Oh, hello, Kate. I always hate graduation. I know I should be happy for you, and I am, and so proud, too, but... Oh, I just hate to see you go!" She finished tearfully, hugging me.

"Thanks for making me feel at home, Janice, even though I was the new girl." I said, feeling a little tearful myself.

"Oh, new students, old students, it doesn't matter to me, dear. You're all like my own children." She said. I smiled, then said goodbye and went outside. I sat on the ground near the door, trying not to cry. I was going to be alone again.

"Kate?" I turned around to see Keith walking towards me, an odd look on his face. "I, er... I wanted to give you this." He pulled out a long silver chain with a teardrop shaped ruby on it. "I, ah, just wanted to give you something to remember us by. I mean, if we don't see each other in a while."

"Thanks." I whispered, admiring the beautiful gem. I put it around my neck. A perfect fit. The two of us looked at each other for a moment. Then the bell rang, and I followed him inside to my doom.

"You okay?" Ben whispered when I settled into place next to him. I nodded and tried for a smile. This would be the last time I saw him, Keith, or Rythmi for a long time. After this, I was alone again.

"The graduation ceremony will now begin!" Kincaid announced crisply. "First, a congratulatory speech from Principle Lamont!" We all applauded, some because Lamont was coming onstage, others because Kincaid was leaving the stage. Lamont stepped up to the podium with the microphone on it and cleared his throat.

"Congratulations, graduates!" Mr. Lamont began. "I am truly delighted that I can be here to greet this day with all of you. Rangers, Operators, and Mechanics. Though these paths may take you in different directions, what I hope for all of you is but the same. Don't worry, I'm not going to say something impossibly difficult or challenging. 'Please don't forget to smile'. That is all I wish of you. With these simple words, I wish you the very best of luck in all your endeavors."

"Thank you, Mr. Lamont, for those kind and wise words." Said Kincaid pompously. "Now, let us call upon the class valedictorian. This student has risen above and beyond the average, to the point where he has gone into individual studies, because he already knows all the mainstream schooling. I am speaking, of course, of this school's best student, Mr. Isaac Winton!" Everyone applauded as Isaac walked up onto the stage, blushing embarrassedly.

"Today," he began, "we leave the shelter of this place of learning and nurturing. It's a giant step for us in our pursuits of our long-held dreams. To our teachers who inspired us…To Janice, mother to us all…To all the Pokémon that loved us…And to all the books in the Library…! We will never forget. Thank you so very, very much from all of us!"

We all applauded. To my horror, a lump was forming in my throat. No. You will not cry. Kate Raymond does not cry.

"Thank you, Isaac, for your wonderful speech." Said Kincaid, clapping far louder than was necessary. "Now, on to the conferring of the graduation certificates."

"I would like to call upon a student to act as the representative of the graduating class." Said Ms. April. "This student, though she started out as the new girl, quickly became not only one of my brightest students, but a friend to every one of her classmates. Her strength and friendship is an inspiration to us all. Ms. Kate Raymond, please step forward." I got up, stunned, as everyone applauded me (Kincaid halfheartedly).

"Wow, you're the rep!" Keith whispered, impressed.

"Way to go, Kate!" Rythmi cheered.

"Th-thanks!" I stammered. I started up the stairs to the stage when the ground shook, throwing me to the ground. I just had time to put my hands put to stop me from braining myself before I hit the floor.

"Kate, are you okay?" I looked up to see Keith standing over me, looking worried.

"Y-yeah... What the hell was that?" I asked, letting him help me up. "An explosion?"

"It sounds like someone's wrecking the place... What's going on?" Ben asked, glancing apprehensively at the basement stairs.

"I'll-I'll go check what that was!" Kincaid stammered, then ran to the stairs. For a few moments, we all waited, wondering what was going on.

"What's down there, I wonder?"

"I don't know, but it's probably dangerous."

"Kincaid's a dead man."

"Wah! Stop! Stop!" Kincaid yelled, running out of the basement, two enormous Tangrowth in hot pursuit, their long, waving body parts smashing the wall out of their way. Their eyes almost glowed with anger, and one of them fixed it's gaze on me.

"C'mon, Kate! Let's take care of these guys!" Keith yelled, running at one of the Tangrowth and launching straight into a capture. I narrowed my eyes and went for the one that was staring at me.

I whirled my arm around at top speed, launching loop after loop, dodging the enraged Pokemon's flailing limbs, and lifting the Capture Disc out of the way of the spiked vines that kept sprouting everywhere. I jumped around, switching direction as randomly as possible, trying to keep out of it's way. Finally, after five minutes and several slams to the stomach by a heavy vine, the Tangrowth was captured. It calmed down, and looked around, confused.

"Agh!" Keith cried out. I whirled around to see the Tangrowth trying to strangle him. Everyone was too stunned to do anything. Looking around desperately, I saw a familiar blue and white tail sticking in the air, out an open window.

"Pachirisu!" I screamed. She popped her head up and looked at me curiously. "Discharge, on the Tangrowth!" She nodded and hopped inside, then scampered up to the Tangrowth. She closed her eyes, and the air charged with static electricity. With a furious cry, Pachirisu unleashed her energy into the Tangrowth, causing it to leap backwards and drop Keith. He fell to the floor, coughing and rubbing his neck. After a moment, he staggered to his feet and looped the paralyzed Tangrowth a few more times, until it was finally captured. The angry fire faded from his eyes. He looked at his friend for a moment. Then they both ran out of the school.

Everyone cheered, but I wasn't interested. I ran over to Keith. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." He said, coughing a bit more and massaging his throat. "Thanks to you and Pachirisu. Say, where'd she go, anyway?"

I glanced around, but my friend was no where to be seen. "I dunno. Maybe she left?" I said, shrugging. "Probably knew she wasn't supposed to be here. I wish she'd stayed, though."

"Well, thanks for saving my behind, anyway." Keith said, grinning.

"What're friends for?"

"But what made the Tangrowth attack like that?" Ms. April wondered aloud.

"I-I don't know... I was studying them, but I'd turned off everything in my lab before the ceremony. I have no idea what could have set them off like that." Kincaid stammered, looking confused.

"So even Mr. Kincaid is at a loss as to what happened." Mr. Lamont sighed. "At least everyone is safe. Ms. April, shall we continue the ceremony?"

"Of course, sir." Ms April said, ushering all the students back into place. "Class Representative Kate Raymond, please step forward." I came up to the stage nervously.

"Kate and Keith, thank you for protecting the students from the rampaging Tangrowth. You both showed great initiative and skill by not hesitating to capture and calm down the agitated Pokemon. You have also been a model student in this school, Kate. So, we confer onto you this certificate in commemoration of this event!" I accepted the certificate, which was made of heavy parchment, and turned to the crowd.

"I didn't know this was happening, so I don't have a speech. Not that it would be a good one, even if I had one." Everyone laughed. "So, all I have to say is... Thank you, for accepting me into your school, and making me the representative." They all cheered as I walked off the stage and back into the crowd.

"Nice job." Ben whispered. I smiled.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the graduating class of the Ranger School!" Mr. Lamont cried out, and everyone cheered, screamed, hugged, cried, and laughed their final goodbyes, then, as one, left the school for bigger and better things. And, to my surprise, I wasn't scared at all.


	7. Chapter 7: Rookies and Mentors

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon, or any of its characters, plotlines, or creatures.**

Chapter Seven

Rookies and Mentors

I walked down the path from Chicole Village towards Veintown. I'd rented a room from a local family for the night, and had been woken up loudly by the young girl who lived there, who had mistaken me for her sister. By the time I'd explained that I was not her sister, I was going to be late for my first day as a full Ranger. Now I was headed off to the Veintown Ranger Base. I had no idea what to wear, so I'd put on my school uniform, even though I'd hard to turn in the school Styler after the Graduation Ceremony.

I sighed. Keith, Ben, and Rythmi had had to run right after the Ceremony to catch their flight, so all they had time for was a quick goodbye, and a promise of letters after their first days on the job.

As I jogged into town, I saw a familiar dark-haired Ranger waiting for me. "Kate!" Luana said, running up and hugging me. "I was so excited t see you, I came out here to wait for you!"

"Thanks, Luana!" I said, hugging her back. Her Buneary twittered indignantly.

"Oh, you remember Buneary, my Partner Pokemon?" Luana asked, petting the affronted Pokemon. "He's quite the jealous type, that's for sure. C'mon, race you to the Ranger Base!" Buneary hopped on Luana's back, and we ran to the Ranger Base, me beating her by just five seconds.

"So, what's my prize?" I asked jokingly.

"Bragging rights. C'mon, let's get inside, the others can't wait to see you!" I followed her inside, where the entire team was waiting, chatting with each other. Craw ford turned when the door opened, then grinned.

"Heya, Kate! So you'll be my apprentice Ranger. Cool, I guess, but who in their right mind would give me a trainee?" He said, laughing. "Now, about today's lunch delivery... No, I was joking, joking!" He said hurriedly as I glared at him, then laughed.

"Kate, you little so-and-so!" Barlow boomed. "What made you come here, eh?" I shrugged, grinning. "I heard Keith got sent to Fiore. Aw, well. I'm sure you'll see him again soon."

"Nice to see you again." Elaine said. "Don't worry, we'll keep Crawford from keeping you delivering lunches all the time."

"Alright, Rangers, fall in." Everyone lined up. Barlow brought me up to the front. "I don't suppose it's necessary to do formal introductions, but, as the Leader here, I like to uphold tradition."

"Traditional Barlow." Crawford muttered.

"Watch it, you." Barlow warned. "The smiley one in the middle is Crawford, our resident jokester and your mentor. He's the tallest person in Veintown, and that giant explosion if hair is his afro." Crawford smiled and waved. "That girl on the left is Luana. She's a little scatterbrained. Just this morning she incinerated toast. She's got brilliantly white teeth, though." Luana grinned, showing off said teeth. "The girl on the right is Elaine, our Mechanic. She'd choose tinkering with machines over romance. The problem is, she likes taking things apart more than putting them together." Elaine smiled and twirled a screwdriver. "The woman behind the desk is our always-smiling Operator, Martha. She's won the Styler-Recharging Contest three times in a row." Martha, true to her reputation, smiled. "And I'm Barlow, the Leader of this Ranger Base. And that is our entire team." Barlow finished.

"Now, Crawford, I want you to take Kate out on your rounds delivering the Vein Tribune. Take her around, show her all the people. Treat it as a full Mission." Barlow ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Crawford said, saluting and picking up a large bag of newspapers. I saluted, too, and followed Crawford out of the building.

"So... We're delivering the newspaper?" I asked, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Yup. I do this every morning. I also write the papers. I wrote about you, actually." He said, showing me a headline said; "Great Things Expected of Rookie Ranger!"

"Awesome. Thanks, Crawford!" I said, grinning.

"No prob. Let's do little Mimi's house first. It's right next door to the base." He led the way to the house next door, knocked, then walked in. A little girl with pink hair stood trying to get at the cookie jar on the counter. She turned towards us and grinned.

"Mommy! Daddy! Crawford brought the Vein Tribune!" She yelled. Suddenly, four Happiny jumped out of nowhere. A woman walked over and took the paper.

"You must be the new Ranger. Were you startled when our Happiny greeted you?" She asked apologetically.

"A little." I admitted.

"Mimi wants to be a Happiny when she grows up!" Mimi said loudly.

"And she's looking more like one every day." Her mom muttered.

"The Almia Times are fine, but I like the Vein Tribune." Mimi's dad said, looking at the paper over his wife's shoulder. "I want to read more of their "Ranger Tales" series."

We left, and Crawford led me over to the house southwest of the Ranger Base. We walked into what looked like a woodshop, but no one was there.

"Hmm..." Crawford said, looking around. "This is Mr. Woodward's place. He's one for taking walks this time of day. He'll probably be out on Nabiki Beach. Let's saunter out there, shall we?"

"Sure." I replied, then led the way down the path to the beach. At the shoreline, a little blue and white Pokemon was staring out at the waves. I suddenly recognized it. "Pachirisu?" I gasped. The Pokemon turned around, and, chittering happily, bounded towards me and climbed up onto my shoulder.

"Well, I'll be." We turned to see Mr. Woodward walking up to us. "You're one of those students from before. Well, congratulations on graduating! This here Pachirisu," He said, changing the subject suddenly. "She's been loitering out on the beach a lot lately, as though waiting for someone. I suppose that was you."

"Now that you're a full Ranger, you can have a Partner Pokemon, Kate." Crawford said, scratching the little Pokemon behind the ears. "Of you'd like, you can take Pachirisu as yours."

"Is that what you want, Pachi?" I asked. She nodded vigorously. "Then I accept!"

"You treat that Pokemon good, you hear?" Mr. Woodward said. I nodded, petting Pachirisu on the head.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Crawford said, rummaging in his bag. "Your Vein Tribune." He handed a paper to Mr. Woodward.

"Ah, yes. I do like the Vein Tribune. The large print makes it easier for my old eyes to read. I appreciate that." He walked off with his Starly and Munchlax, while Pachirisu joined Crawford, Budew, and I.

"Well, as our printing press only prints one size..." Crawford muttered. "Now it's just Tim and Bertha's house, then on to Chicole Village." He led the way to the large house south of the Ranger Base with a paddock and a Miltank. He knocked and went inside. Three kids, two boys and two girls, along with Little Tim and a huge woman who I took to be Bertha, were inside.

"Mom! Crawford and someone else brought the Vein Tribune!" A boy a little older than me called over his shoulder.

"Mama! Vein Triboon come!" A little toddler boy yelled.

"Hey, new Ranger. Your uniform looks brand new." A girl a little younger than me chatted.

"That's because it is." I said, laughing.

"Um, mom, Crawford brought the newspaper. And a stranger came, too." A girl around five stammered awkwardly.

"Well," Bertha boomed. "You must be the student who helped out my husband a while ago. I surely must thank you for that."

"You saved me from a mauling, that's for sure!" Little Tim agreed.

Crawford handed the older boy the newspaper, then led the way outside. "Okay, on to Chicole Village." He said. I glanced up at the sky. It was nearly noon already. We jogged down the path to Chicole, then went into the nearest house.

"Oh, hello." The woman said. "You must be the new Ranger. Your first job is delivering the Vein Tribune?" I nodded. "That's kind of cool in it's own way!"

"We just moved here, so I haven't had a chance to look at it yet." The man said, going over the newspaper. "Hmm... Well, other than "Crawford's Best Jokes", everything else looks interesting." He laughed at Crawford's glare. "I was just kidding, Crawford."

We went down the the house that I'd stayed in the night before. The little girl bunced around when I came in. "Mommy! Daddy! The Rangers brought the paper!"

"You're delivering the newspaper?" The man asked. "I bet that was so you could get acquainted with all the residents."

"I hope you have fun as a Ranger!" The woman said as we left. We moved on to the house next door. A lone woman was in there, cooking.

"Oh, hello. Are you bringing the newspaper?" She asked, taking the paper from Crawford. "You know, I have a son about your age, Crawford. But he hasn't kept in touch. I have no idea what he's up to..." She sighed unhappily as we left.

"Mrs. William's husband passed away a few years ago." Crawford confided. "So her son went to go get work. He'll send her money and things, but he never writes or anything. It kind of sad, really."

"My parents died when I was younger." I said, deciding on the spur of the moment not to keep it a secret. "So I was raised by my grandfather. He passed away just before I came to Ranger School."

"Really? That must have been rough." Crawford said sympathetically.

"Yeah, but... Well, it's nothing I can't handle." I said, trying to sound offhand, but Crawford's smile was a little too understanding to make me think I succeeded. We moved on to the building just north of Mrs. William's.

"Good morning!" The woman inside said. "You're the new Ranger? Thanks for delivering the newspaper." She said, accepting the paper.

"The Vein Tribune? Are there any article on Riolu?" The boy asked.

"Kyle's a bit Riolu obsessed." Kyle's dad said, smiling slightly. "Well, have a good day!"

We left the house. "Well." Crawford sighed, glancing at the noon sky. "At took longer than usual. Usually, all I do is pop in and drop off the paper. Don't worry, though. It was mince to talk to everyone on this round. Well, Kate, this is a Mission Clear!"

Pachirisu and I struck a pose, me twirling my Styler. "Now, would you like to call it a day?" Barlow asked.

"Sure, I guess. I have some letters to write." I replied, yawning and stretching. I walked up to Martha's desk. "Is there any mail for me?"

"Actually, two... Wait, three letters from Fiore. Would you like me to print them out for you?" Martha suggested helpfully. I nodded. She smiled, hit a few keys on her keyboard, and in no time, three sheets of paper flew out of the printer. "Here you go. Enjoy!" Martha said, handing me the letters. I thanked her and went to my room in the back of the Ranger base. It was small, just a bed, a desk, a chair, and a tiny closet with my day clothes in it, but it was all I needed. I sat down at the desk and read the top letter, which was from Keith.

Hey Kate.

First day here was alright. Solana's awesome, she and Lunick took Ben and I out on patrol today. Just got back, actually. Nothing much going on, but Solana says she prefers it quiet. I'm not so sure, though!

How're things back in Almia? Hope they're more interesting than here-nothing but Skitties stuck in trees, the occasional Growlithe fight- pretty stereotypical stuff to be honest. Ever since Lunick and Solana drove the Go-Rock Quads out of Fiore, anyway. Did you hear about them? They're a popular band now! Can you believe it?

We're all missing you here in Fiore. Wish you could be here with us. Are you still wearing that necklace?

Keith

Smiling, I turned to the next one, which was from Rythmi.

Dear Kate,

How was your first day on the job? I hope it was as fun as mine-my mentor is amazing! I doubt anyone's as good as her, except maybe Linda or Marcus from the Ranger Union. Then again, they have to deal with Hastings. Did I ever tell you, he kept calling me Misery when I was there on internship?

Keith and Ben went out on patrol with Lunick and Solana today. Noing interesting there. I, on the other hand, got to master the operating systems, including Voicemail, Styler Recharging, the Region Maps, and the Styler Locating System. It was so awesome, I can't wait to tell you about it in person next time we get together.

Keith seems a bit down, by the way. You should write him soon. He's been missing you a lot. Personally, I think there's something to that, if you catch my drift! Hope you had as awesome a first day as me! Write back ASAP!

Rythmi

I hurriedly turned to Ben's letter, Pachirisu chittering her laughter at my blush. 'There may be something to that'? Oh, god.

Kate,

Keith, Ryth, and I had an awesome first day. I got to go on patrol with my sister! For the first time! She never let me go with her when she went out on patrol or Missions when I was younger. It always really irritated me, but I quickly learned that she was right when I followed her out on a Mission and had to watch her get beat up by some Go-Rock Squad goons. That was terrifying.

Working with Lunick isn't as awkward as I'd thought it would be. He didn't seem to find it weird that he was training his girlfriend's little brother. How was Crawford? Keith tells me that he's quite the jokester. Probably like working with an older Keith, then!

Nothing interesting on the patrol, unless you count a Skitty stuck in a tree. I mean, how stereotypical is that? Keith couldn't stop laughing about it. It was pretty funny. Now, the tangling Growlythe? That was not funny. I got burned pretty bad on my arm. Anything interesting on you're first day? Write back soon!

Ben

I laughed at the Skitty comment, then got out my tiny laptop and started typing a letter. I adressed it to all three of them, as it would get annoying writing three separate letters with the same stuff written on it.

Dear Keith, Ben, and Rythmi,

I had an awesome first day, too. Crawford took me out to deliver the Vein Tribune. Guess what? I made the papers before any of you! Crawford wrote about me. Sure, the headline was "Great Things Expected of Rookie Ranger", but... Rookie Ranger, savior of the world, what's the dif?

Ben, Crawford is a bit like an older Keith, in a way, but way more responsible than Keith will ever be (no offense, Keith). Barlow, the leader here, introduced me formally in front of everyone, even though we already knew each other. Barlow's cool, but he has a voice as big as he is, and Barlow's the strongest guy I know. Luana, another Ranger, a little older than us, is a bit scatterbrained, but really nice. Elaine, the Mechanic, really likes to demolish things, but she's cool. Martha, the Operator, Rythmi would love, 'cause she's apparently won the Styler Recharging Contest three times in a row!

Everyone here's great, but the best bit is that I have my Partner Pokemon! Remember the Pachirisu who helped me at the Graduatin Ceremony? I met her at my On-Day Internship. She was waiting for me at Nabiki Beach. They say that if you meet someone on Nabiki Beach, you'll be friends for life. Maybe there's something to that, but Pachi's amazing. She right here next to me as I write.

I'm actually really happy here. I miss you guys. I'll be alright, though. Don't you guys worry about me! I hope we can see each other again soon!

Kate

P.S. Rythmi-there is nothing to it.

P.P.S. Keith-Yes, I am.

P.P.P.S Ben-Please be careful.

I read over my letter, smirking at the P.S., knowing that there was no way Rythmi would believe me, even though I was right-wasn't I? Keith had given me that necklace, as something to remember them by. But the others hadn't been there, and I was sure that Rythmi would have mentioned the necklace if she knew. I fingered the ruby thoughtfully. Even if Keith did like me, did I like him? I shook my head. Thinking about it made my brain fuzzy.

I glanced out the window and sighed. Night had fallen, so I could go to bed without being embarrassed. I sent my letter to Martha, who would send it to Fiore, and settled down to bed, Pachirisu snuggling beside me. Maybe this won't be so bad, after all.


	8. Chapter 8: Spelunking in the Dark

**Hey, peeps! Sorry for yet another long wait, but as I said, wifi is patchy right now. If I still have any readers left, please review! If only so I know you're there! I even have two chapters for you! Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters, creatures, or plots.**

Chapter Eight

Spelunking in the Dark

"Good morning, Kate!" Barlow said.

"Mornin'." I replied sleepily. Pachirisu was drowsing on my shoulder.

"The beds here are pretty comfortable, aren't they?" Barlow remarked. "But this is no time for idle chatter. Crawford! Kate! Front and center!" We lined up, me saluting for good measure. "We've just received an emergency report from Mr. Woodward, who was out on his morning walk, and says that he heard some strange sounds coming from Marine Cave on Nabiki Beach! I want you two to take care of it. Crawford, this'll be a good chance for you to teach Kate about how to handle a real crisis. Off you go now!" Crawford and I saluted again.

"Wow." Said Crawford. "This is the first Mission worthy of the title in a while. So, you got your Styler all charged? Saved recently? Good! Let's go, then!"

We ran off to Nabiki Beach. Crawford let the way down the stairs. "Wait a minute. I think I hear something. A kind of... Pulsing."

"I hear it, too." I said uneasily. Pachirisu crooned nervously. I started going down the stairs when Crawford threw out a hand to stop me. "Hold it! Direct your attention to the Shellos down there." A little pink Shellos was slithering around, oozing blue slime. "See its trail? You want to avoid that. It inflicts damage when you step in it."

"What does it do?" I asked incredulously. "Make you slip?"

"Actually, it's more like you dipped your foot in an acid bath." Crawford said wryly. I gulped and gave the Shellos a wide berth.

"Okay, there's definitely something in there." I said as we drew up to the cave. "It's making my ears ring."

"Really?" Crawford said. "It's just giving me a headache from all the pulsing. I feel like I'm going next-door to complain about a neighbor's noise."

We entered the cave. Inside, some Zubat were fluttering around. Their eyes seemed alight with pain. "What's up with these Pokemon?" I asked. "They all seem to be in pain. And... Hypnotized."

Suddenly, one of the Zubat flew at Crawford, and started ripping at his afro. "Oh god! Oh god! Kate! A little help here?" He cried, batting at the Zubat. I quickly captured the Pokemon, but not before it sent several echoing waves at Crawford's Styler. It looked around, confused, before the angry light relit in its eyes and it flew away.

"What the heck was that about? You captured it properly. You did a pretty good job, in fact." Crawford said, staring after the Zubat. "Why did it run?"

"I don't know." I said, equally confused. "It just couldn't be befriended. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fi-oh, crap!" He cursed suddenly. "My Styler's busted. Ever since I spilled juice all over it, it's been real sensitive." He glanced at me. "Looks like any captures we need to do will be done by you."

"It's okay, Crawford." I assured him. "I probably need more practice than you anyway." He grinned ruefully. "And it's not like captures would be very useful here."

"Right. Let's move on, then." We'd only gone a short distance when we were stopped by two flimsy looking wooden fences. "What the hell? How did these get here?"

"No clue." I said, scanning them with my Styler. "Tthey need a cut factor of one to get past. Hey, wait a minute!" I said, a sudden memory surfacing. "Fences like these were blocking the way to the basement in the school!"

"Lemme guess." Crawford said, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Initiation Ceremony? Or perhaps a romantic nighttime stroll with young Keith? Ow!" He cried out when I hit him upside the head. "I though I was your mentor! You should respect your elders, young one!"

"The next person that suggests at I like Keith is a dead man, mentor or no." I ground out, storming out of the cave. "I saw a Tailow over here, maybe he'll help." I captured the bird with ease, and, sure enough, it was exactly what we needed. We ran back into the cave and asked Tailow to cut one of the fences down. Upon doing so, it sped out of the cave.

"The sound's getting louder." Crawford remarked. "I wonder what's down there? Guess correctly and win three milk puddings, curtousy of-actually, this is no time to be joking." Crawford corrected himself hurriedly. "After all, I need to set a good example for my trainee." I glared good-naturedly at him, then followed him deeper into the cave.

The pulsing sound got gradually louder, until, finally, we turned a corner, and found the source. A huge red machine was spinning, emitting the sinister pulsing sound that made my ears ring and Pokemon suffer. Pachirisu stared at the object with rage. She chittered angrily and sent a hundred volts of electricity coursing through it, but she may as well have thrown a pebble at it for all the good it did. It just sat there, spinning and pulsing. Crawford and I exchanged nervous glances.

"If that didn't destroy it." He said, gesturing towards Pachirisu. "I don't know what will. But we may as well check. Scan it with your Styler, see what we need to destroy it."

I scanned it quickly, not expecting anything to happen. Suddenly, my Styler beeped, and on the screen it said, "Unidentified Object. Required Field Move; Water 2"

"It needs a water factor of two." I said. "Maybe it's red for fire?"

"Maybe." Crawford said. "C'mon, there may be a Gastrodon deeper in that can help us. If we can capture it." He added, then led the way deeper into the cave. We passed through a small hallway, and the pulsing noise faded. "The Pokemon here don't seem to be affected by the machine." Crawford remarked as we came into the adjacent chamber. I glanced around and saw that he was right; all the Pokemon were behaving normally.

We heard a faint cry from behind a boulder. Crawford and I ran over to it, and listened. The cry sounded again. "Sounds like a Gastrodon."

"It must have gotten stuck behind this boulder." I mused. "How do we get to it?"

"Well..." Crawford said thoughtfully. "How much crush does the boulder need?"

"Two." I said, scanning the boulder quickly.

"A Nosepass should have that much power." He said decisively.

"Where can we find one?"

"I dunno."

"Great." I muttered, then ran deeper into the cave. After dodging a few Zubat and freaking out a Squirtle, we found a Nosepass, hanging out at the very back of the cave. I captured it with ease, then brought it back and had it crush the boulder. Once it finished, it walked off to its previous spot. Crawford and I went into the small cave to find a Gastrodon sliming around. I captured it with minor difficulty, then brought it back to the device. It sent a powerful stream of water at it, and the device exploded. The Gastrodon ran off, and the Pokemon that had been under hypnosis slowly looked around as the angry, painful light faded from their eyes, and the ran back to their dens.

"The Pokemon seem happy to be freed." Crawford said, then smiled proudly at me. "Kate, it was your smart decisions that saved these Pokemon! Awesome job!"

"Thanks!" I said, embarrassed. "But what is that thing?" I asked, looking at the object with distaste. We walked over to it.

"It looks like there was writing here." Crawford said, scraping at a charred section of metal. "But it's too burnt to read. Can you make anything out, Kate?"

"Erm..." I squinted at the device. "'Gig...mo U..t #1.' Something Unit number one?" I wondered. "That's all I can think of."

"We need to take this back to the base for analysis." Crawford decided. He grunted as he strained to pick the device up. "Rrrgh...ahg...oof. Kate, could you help me here?". j bent down to pick it up. The two of us struggled to pick up the device. Finally, we gave up.

"It'd take five people to pick this thing up!" I panted, leaning up against the cave wall. "With Barlow helping!"

"It's no use." Crawford moaned. "I'm beat. This is a job for Almia's strongest." He pulled out his Styler. "Good. Voicemail's still working. I'll contact them right away."

"Who could pick this hunk of metal up?" I asked incredulously.

"Someone who bested Barlow at arm wrestling in three seconds flat." Crawford said grimly. "You go on ahead and report back at the Ranger Base. I'll wait here for Almia's strongest."

"Okay. See you when you get back." I said, then walked out of the cave. I was about to walk up the stairs when Big Bertha came up.

"Ah, it's Kate!" She boomed. "I haven't the slightest idea why, but your Crawford called me out here for something." Bewildered, I got out of her way hurriedly. "Me husband got all jealous, saying I was going out on a date with Crawford to the cave. So I told him, that's exactly what I'm doing!"

I laughed nervously as she passed. Pachirisu and I exchanged glances, then we went back to the base.

"Kate, you're back!" Barlow said. "I know you're tired, but could you give me a report on what happened in the Marine Cave?"

"Sure, boss." I said tiredly, then began to explain what happened, Barlow jotting down details on his Styler screen.

"Okay," Barlow said once I'd finished. "So it was a huge red machine that hypnotized Pokemon that was making the noise, but could be destroyed with a water factor of two?"

"Yup. There was a Gastrodon in the cave that helped us." I said. Suddenly, the door opened, and Little Tim came in.

"Hello? I'd surely like it if there was a Ranger here who could help me with my Mission." He said, looking around at us.

"Well, I don't know if we can call it a Mission." Barlow mused. "But we can call it a Quest. In fact, this'd be a good time to teach you about Quests, Kate. A Quest is a request from an average citizen to help them. Kate, why don't you ask Tim what it is he needs."

I walked up to Tim. "What's going on?"

"Well, y' see, my wife had to go out to do something, and I got told to do the milking." Little Tim explained. "But, you know me, deathly a-scared of Pokemon. And what's more, our Miltank is actin' all sorts of feisty and contrary. So I got to thinkin', a Ranger'd know what to do! I don't much care if it's a Mission or a Quest or whatever, but could y'all come out to my farm and calm my Miltank down?"

"Sure thing." I said, stifling yawn, then followed him out to his pasture. Tim huddled against the wall as Miltank glared at me angrily. She lowed loudly, then charged at me. Like a bullfighter, I dodged at the last second, then looped my Styler around her. After a couple of charges, Miltank was captured. She lowed again, this time calmly, then settled down to graze. Panting, I turned around to see Little Tim with a bucket in his hand.

"Thank you kindly!" He exclaimed. "You've surely saved me from a scolding, yes siree! I knew you could do it!"

"No problem, Tim." I said wearily, then left for the Ranger Base. Suddenly, there was a huge crash, and, startled, I fell to the floor in front of the base. Pachirisu chittered concernadly. "I'm fine." I assured her, then walked in.

Big Bertha and Crawford had returned. The weird machine was on the floor in front of Bertha, who wasn't even sweating. "You carried that thing all on your own?" Barlow ws saying incredulously. "You hefted it over one shoulder?"

"Even though it's in two pieces..." Luana muttered.

"You surely are Almia's strongest, Bertha." Barlow said, obviously impressed. Then he saw me. "Kate! You're back! You helped Tim out with his problem?"

"Yup." I said wearily. "I calmed his Miltank down with a capture."

"Great job, Kate! Now, you look like you could use a lie-down. Would you like to turn in for the night?"

"Oh, god, yes." I exclaimed.

"Well, good night, then."

Meanwhile, Elaine was looking the machine over.

"I've never seen anything like this..." She said, examining the burnt out dial. "Let me take it apart for analysis!"

"Not so fast, Elaine!" Barlow interjected. "We need Prof. Hastings to take a look at it, first. Unfortunately, he's away on business in Fiore right now. I'll contact him as soon as he gets back."

"I wanted to dismantle that..." Elaine muttered sullenly.

"Oh, Kate?" Martha called. I walked over. "You have a letter from Fiore."

"Kate, before you go, have a look at this." Luana said after I'd collected my letter. She showed me a Fiore newspaper. There was a picture of Keith and a Buizel capturing a huge Gyrados. The headline blared; Gyrados Rampages in Summerland! Rookie Ranger Saves the Day!

"Look's like your friend's making a name for himself." Luana remarked.

"Oh, great. That's exactly what we need, an even more big-headed Keith." I moaned jokingly before retiring to my room to read my letter.

Kate,

Anything interesting on your end? I know it's only the second day, but there was something cool over here in Fiore. A Gyrados was startled by a passing cargo ship, and it went wild in Summerland! Solana was hurt by its Hyper Beam, but it only grazed her, so she'll be okay. I had to capture it. It took a while, but with my new Parter, Buizel's help, I captured it okay. It hit me with the Hyper Beam too, though. I'll be okay, but the doctor's put me on bed rest for a few days. I mean, Bo-ring. I'm barely even hurt! Solana didn't get put on bed rest!

Sorry, ranting again. Anyway, don't worry about me. How're things with you? Write back A.S.A.P. (It's not like I have anything better to do than read your letter.)

Keith

I hurriedly typed up my reply.

Keith,

What did I tell you about doing dangerous things without me? I mean, it's bad enough that Ben wasn't there to save your butt, but when your mentor was already hurt? Please, please, try to be more careful in the future!

Sorry, I guess I'm doing a bit of ranting myself. Moving on. Crawford and I were sent out on a Mission to the Marine Cave. There was this machine there that hypnotized Pokemon. They were in immense pain, and couldn't even be captured. Crawford and I destroyed it in the end, but, still-kind of fishy, if you know what I mean.

Tell Ryth and Ben that I say hi!

Kate

I gave Martha my letter, then went to bed, and passed out almost immediately.

Walking through the woods, alone, to a great palace. Walk inside. Four men, a father and his sons, arguing. Don't notice me.

First, strong, hot headed, sent to the fire.

Second, handsome, vain, sent to the sand.

Third, intelligent, cowardly, allowed to stay.

The elder sons leave, and the king and his youngest stay, the king in despair, as ice encases the castle, slowly, slowly, and I feel his agony, pain, pain, so much pain...

I woke with a start, crying and clutching at my throat. For a second, the ruby there seemed to glow, but the moment passed. Pachirisu was sleeping peacefully. Slowly, I calmed down, and fell into a long (and thankfully dreamless) sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Set Fire to the Rain

**Here is Chapter Nine! Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters, creatures, or plotlines.**

Chapter Nine

Set Fire to the Rain

"Pachi pacha!" I groaned groggily and sat up at Pachirisu's insistence.

"Okay, okay, 'm up, 'm up." I muttered, pulling on my uniform as Pachirisu chittered at me, no doubt telling me to hurry up. Pachirisu sniffed the air a few times, then crooned worriedly. I sniffed. Something was burning. Assuming that Luana had incinerated her toast again, I pulled on my boots, strapped my Styler to my wrist, and left my room, Pachirisu on my shoulder.

Luana came yawning out of her room, her Buneary yawning identically. "G'mornin!" She greeted sleepily as we came into the main room. "The burning smell woke me up. Funny, I'm the one who usually incinerates toast."

"Save the morning greetings!" Barlow ordered. "That burning smell's no toast! The Vein Forest's on fire!"

That snapped us out of our drowsiness pretty quick. "What?" Luana exclaimed.

"How?" I asked. "Was there, like, a campfire, or did someone upset a fire type Pokemon, or-"

"We don't know how, yet. But we received a report from Crawford, who was out on a morning stroll. The fire's spreading dangerously. Kate, Luana, I'm assigning you a new Mission. Put Out the Vein Forest Fire!" Barlow ordered. We saluted.

"Wait." Said Elaine. "Don't do anything reckless. I have supplies to treat burns, but I'd rather we not need them. Good luck!"

"Thanks, Elaine." I said, then followed Luana out of the base. A small crowd of people had gathered, watching the forest uneasily.

"That fire's huge." One man said. "The only thing that'd put that out in a hurry is a rainstorm."

"What, on this cloudless day?" A woman scoffed. "Please. The Rangers'll think of something."

"I hope the Pokemon will be alright..." Big Bertha murmured. Staring into the woods.

"I keep tellin' her it ain't safe here!" Little Tim said desperately. "But she insists on waiting out here, in case the wind changes. If it does, our little town could be in trouble!"

"Don't worry, Tim." I assured him. "We'll have this thing put out in no time!"

"I surely do hope so." Tim said fervently.

"C'mon, Crawford's waiting for us." Luana said. We ran into the woods. The farther down the path we went, the smokier it got.

"Wh-what's that over there?" I asked, coughing slightly.

"It's little Mimi from next door to the Ranger Base!" Luana exclaimed. We ran over. Little Mimi was standing there, hugging one of her Happini, her pink dress smudged with soot.

"Mimi, you can't stay here!" I said. "The forest's on fire!"

"...Mimi can't go." She said stubbornly, her lips trembling. "M-Mimi's Happini all stopped listening to Mimi. They ran off into the woods." She started crying. Luana kneeled down next to her and comforted her.

"It's okay, Mimi. We'll get your Happini back!" She assured. Slowly, Mimi stopped crying.

"Y-you will?"

"Of course." I said. "You just wait here." Luana and I ran into the forest. We were jogging along a path when I suddenly cried, "Look out!" And pulled Luana out of the way of a burning log falling from the sky. I threw my arms up to protect my face from the burning shrapnel, and I cried out in pain. Some Budew jumped out of the bushes in alarm, but Luana captured them quickly.

"Are you okay?" Luana asked frantically. I brushed the last embers from my arms.

"Yeah." I said, examining my burnt forearms ruefully. "Those are gonna scar." I went over by the river and captured a Wartortle, who put out the flaming log before it could catch the rest of the forest on fire. We continued on our way. Finally, we caught the Happini and brought them back to Mimi.

"Happini! You came back!" She cried, hugging the little pink Pokemon. She started to lead them away. "Oh, yeah." She said, turning back to us. "Thank you, Rangers!" She left the forest.

"Let's go meet Crawford. I hope he's okay." I said, concerned.

"No worries. Crawford's a very experienced Ranger, despite his joking personality." Luana said reassuringly. "He's okay."

We tried to go up one path, but it was blocked by flames. We went along another path that was passable. Crawford was waiting for us in a huge, burning clearing, his face dirty with sweat and soot, his hands burned slightly.

"Hey, guys! Hot enough for you!" He asked.

"Really, Crawford? Is now the time?" I asked exasperatedly. He merely shrugged.

"Look, the fire's way too big to be put put by just field moves." He explained. "So we need to use the Area Move Rain Dance. It'll cause a rainstorm big enough to put out the flames. There's a Blastoise over by the river to the West. I'd capture him myself, but the heat's making my Styler go all whacky." He grimaced. "I will never drink juice again. But could you two go and capture Blastoise?"

"Sure thing, Crawford. Back in a flash!" Luana replied. We went to Western bank of the river, where a Blastoise was lounging around. I readied my Styler. With Pachirisu's help, I captured the Blastoise. We ran back to Crawford.

"Awesome!" He said, seeing the Blastoise. "Now, all we need to do is find the right spot to use it."

"Where might that be?" I asked.

"Oh, don't worry. It's not that hard to find. Just walk around. Some sort of inspiration should come to you." Crawford said.

Frowning in concentration, I led Blastoise over to a path. It seemed to be at the dead center of the fire. "Blastoise, Rain Dance!" I said. Blastoise rumbled, and stomped his feet. Finally, he roared at the sky. The bright sun disappeared behind dark clouds. It started to rain. Slowly, the fire was extinguished.

"Ha!" Crawford said, grinning. "If I'd known it was going to rain, I would have brought an umbrella for this fire!" We laughed. Suddenly, I noticed something over in a clearing.

It was a broken machine, just like the one from before. "Guys, look! Aren't those the same machines from the Marine Cave?" They looked where I was pointing.

"They sure are!" Luana exclaimed. Suddenly, someone moaned and sat up next to the machine. He was wearing singed jeans and a slightly burnt striped tank top, and his short red hair was covered in soot. He had major burns all over.

"Hello?" I called. He saw us and bolted. "Wait!"

We caught up to him easily. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Luana asked. He didn't reply.

"This guy's got burns. Let's get him back to the base for treatment." He and Luana each gingerly grabbed an arm. The man struggled feebily. "You could use some treatment, too, Kate." He said, eying my arms.

"It's nothing. A burning log fe-" I started coughing. "Fell." I got out, before coughing some more.

"Kate, come on, we need to get you out of the smoke." Crawford said worriedly, leaving Luana to deal with the suspicious man and coming to help me. Unable to stop coughing, I merely nodded. Wearily, we headed back to the base.

"I just don't get it." Barlow said frustratedly. "He just won't stop struggling, even when Elaine was kind enough to treat his burns."

We had made it back to the base. I was sitting on a chair, drinking water and occasionally bursting into coughing fits. Elaine, who was also the base medic, said that I was suffering from smoke inhalation, and that I should feel better in the morning. I watched as Barlow tried to interrogate the mysterious man and Elaine treated Luana and Crawford's minor burns. Pachirisu lay curled up in my lap, chittering concernadly whenever I coughed.

"He won't even tell us his name!" Barlow continued. "Guess we'll just have to make one up. Hmm... He reeks of oil, so how about Oil-Stinker-Creep?"

I rolled my eyes, laughing, which caused me to cough hysterically. Hastily, I gulped some more water to stop the coughs.

"Leader, you fail at comedy." Crawford called from where Elaine was treating his burns. "Plus it's too long."

Oil-Stinker-Creep said nothing. He was tied up on a chair, glancing around nervously, wincing whenever I coughed, then glancing at me guiltily.

"Well, he smells like oil..." Luana mused. "How about Ollie?" Ollie quickly hid a smirk. "See, did you see him smile? Ollie it is, then."

"Oh, and Kate?" I looked up at Barlow. "You showed great skill and bravery in the forest today. I'm upping you to Ranger Rank Two!" I grinned weakly. "No need to celebrate, though. It's best for you to rest." Barlow ordered before going back to keeping Elaine off the mysterious machine.

"Kate?" Martha asked. "You have a video call from Fiore coming in, if you feel up to it."

"Who's it from?" I croaked, wincing at the sound of my voice.

"Ranger Keith. Would you like it in your room?"

"Sure." I said, getting unsteadily to my feet and walking down the hall to my room. I opened my laptop to see Keith grinning at me.

"Hey, Kate! What's up?" He asked. I smiled.

"Hi, Keith." I said, then coughed a bit. When I looked up, he was frowning.

"What's that all about? You sick or something?" He asked.

"No. Smoke inhalation. The Vein Forest was on fire. We got it out okay, but I have a few burns, and my lungs are full of crap." I said ruefully.

"You look exhausted."

"You don't look much better." I teased, even though it was the truth. His face was covered in bruises.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you get flung across a harbor by an angry Gyrados." Keith said lightly. Someone in the background asked something. "Talking to Kate on video." Footsteps pounded over, and Ben and Rythmi's faces appeared on the screen.

"Kate! It's so great to see you!" Rythmi exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us you were going to call her?" She glared acusatorily at Keith.

"Hey, I just did it on a whim. I didn't even know if she was going to be in or not." Keith said. I started coughing again, and they all stared at me concernadely.

"Crap." I muttered.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"Smoke inhalation. The Vein Forest was on fire." I explained.

"What?" Ben and Rythmi exclaimed.

"It's out, right? Everything's okay?" Ben asked.

"Yeah. We got it out. But we found more of those machines there." I said. "Keith told you about them, right?" They nodded. "Good. They're probably the cause. We also found this guy there. Don't know who he is, but he was acting real suspicious. Doesn't mean Barlow had to tie him up, though..." I muttered.

"He tied him up? Really?" Keith asked. I nodded. "Doesn't that seem a bit overkill? Couldn't you just, like, give him an extra room and lock him in or something?"

"Well, I would have suggested that if I wasn't coughing my lungs out at the time." I said, smirking. The others didn't laugh. "Oh, c'mon, guys, I'm fine!"

"You better be!" Rythmi said fiercely. "Or you know I'll come over there and kick your butt."

"Yes, doctor." I teased. They laughed. We talked a while longer, until Ben got called back by Lunick to go on a patrol, and Keith and Rythmi said goodbye and hung up. I smiled to myself, then fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10: Attack of the Evil Mailboxes

**GAAAH! I'M NOT USED TO BEING ON A SCHEDULE! Sorry for not updating on time, I've had quite a bit on my plate lately. I'll try to get it right this week! Anyway, cue violence! Yay! Making Pokemon hardcore! Anyway, enjoy, review, fav, etc. Thx for all those reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its plotlines, characters, or creatures.**

Chapter Ten

The Attack of the Evil Mailboxes

"Chi pachi?" Pachirisu inquired. It had been two days since the fire, and my lungs were finally clear of the smoke. I took a deep breath for the first time since the fire. Guess it just takes a few days of hacking up a lung to make you appreciate just how good a full breath feels.

"I'm up, Pachi." I said, literally leaping out of bed. I'm not normally a morning person, but after three days of bed rest and boredom, I was ready to get at it.

"Morning, Kate!" Barlow greeted. "Ready for action today?"

"You know it, sir!" I said, grinning.

"Good. Now, Prof. Hastings has returned to Almia. He's coming over from the Union to inspect the machine. I'd like you to go and meet him, make sure he gets here okay. Got it?" Barlow instructed.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I said, mock saluting, then running out of the base with Pachirisu on my shoulder. I was nearing the entrance to Vein Forest when an elderly man in a white lab coat walked briskly foreword, muttering to himself.

"Don't know who's idea of a prank that barrier was." He muttered. "A kick here, a chop there, and it came right down. But the nerve of that Wendy, actually suggesting that she fly me here on that Staraptor of hers. She knows I detest the very idea of flying. And the joke's on her, as walking is better for the body than flying everywhere. Although, due to my impatient nature I generally jog instead of walk. I say, who are you?" He addressed me suddenly.

"U-um... I-" I stammered, caught off guard.

"Do you normally make a habit of eavesdropping on the elderly?"

"What? No!"

"Oh, I recognize you now!" He said. "You're from the Ranger Base. I am Prof. Hastings. Pleased to meet you." I shook his hand. "Now, I am an impatient man. I hardly ever walk. So let us jog to the Ranger Base."

And he set off with surprising speed, me on his tail. I followed him into the Ranger Base. "Ah, Kate, you're back! And you brought the Professor!" Barlow greeted.

"Yes, sir."

"Ah, so this is the machine that you were telling me about?" Hastings said, looking over the machine's burnt frame. "Now, where have I seen this before... Ah yes! There were men in black uniforms carrying these around Pueltown! I took them to be overlarge mailboxes. It appears I was mistaken."

"Mailboxes?" I muttered.

"Crawford! You and Kate go and investigate Pueltown immediately!" Barlow ordered. "Treat it as a Mission!"

"Yes, sir!" We both cried, saluting for real this time, then we ran out of the base.

"C'mon, Pueltown's just past Vein Forest." Crawford said, leading me across the first bridge, into the still singed portion of the forest. "We should probably capture a Pokemon with a water factor of two, in case they're activated."

"Right." I said, proceeding to capture a nearby Wartortle. We ran through the woods and came to a ridge overlooking a park with a tower under construction.

"The tower'll be completed soon!" A woman told us. "There's a competition to name it. How does Echo Tower sound?"

"Cool." Crawford said, looking over the ridge. "This view just makes me want to shout really loud. TALK OLLIE!" He yelled, making me jump.

"Really, Crawford? Just blast out my eardrums, why don't you?" I snarled, glaring at him.

"Heh, sorry." He said sheepishly, grinning mischievously. "Let's get going."

We continued down the path, which went back into the forest. After dodging a few Beedril, we came to Pueltown. An odd pulsing noise, faint, but definitely there, was sounding from towards the town.

"You hear that?" I asked. Crawford nodded.

"Let's hurry inside." He said, and we jogged into the town. It was a quaint, old-fasioned city, and would have been pleasant had it not been for the masses of hypnotized Pokemon.

"Hey, Rangers!" A man in board shorts and a tee shirt with pink hair walked up. He twitched impatiently. "About time you got here! There were these shady-looking guys carting-I don't know-mailboxes around town. And now the Pokemon are all acting up! What's going on here?"

"Kate, this is Brook." Crawford introduced. "Brook, where did those guys go?"

"Farther into town." Brook said, glancing over his shoulder. "Hey, there they are now!" Some men in dark uniforms were walking along the bridge over town.

"God, those Gigaremos are heavy!" One moaned.

"I know!" The other replied. "I mean, it takes four men to move one! Couldn't they have designed it with the people who had to set it up in mind?"

"Well, they're all set now." The other replied. "Let's go report back to the boss." They walked off. Crawford and I tried to follow, but some hypnotized Pokemon stopped us.

"We need to take out the device-did they call it a Gigaremo?-out if we want to chase them." Crawford surmised. I found the Gigaremo and took it out with the Wartorle that I'd captured earlier. The hypnotized Pokemon left, and Brook came up to us.

"My hat's off to you, Rangers!" He cried jovially. "Now, I'll go get those shady guys! Tell you what-I'll catch 'em, and bind 'em up a smidgeon on the tight side, as my gift to you! You just let me take care of things!" And with that, he ran off.

"That Brook." Crawford said, laughing slightly. "He means well, but..." We went up the stairs to find another Gigaremo unit, only this one was green. After exchanging a confused look with Crawford, I scanned it.

"It needs a burn factor of two." I said once the scan was complete. "I saw a Growlithe earlier..." We ran back and captured the Growlithe, which destroyed the machine with ease. We proceeded down the bridge. Two men in black uniforms came from the other side of the bridge.

"We lost the signal from our Gigaremos..." One said. Then they spotted us.

"And found two Rangers!" The other finished.

"They've been busting our Gigaremos! We need to let the boss know!" They ran before we could say anything. Crawford and I exchanged suispicious glances, then continued. I captured an Elekid on a hunch before we came into a residential area.

"Eeeek!" A little girl screamed. We ran to find Isaac's little sister Melody surrounded by Pokemon, and Brook trying in vain to get at her. "Mr. Brook..." Melody sniffled.

"Don't worry, Melody! Brook's come to save you!" Brook cried. He tried to get past the Pokemon but they shoved him back. "Darn it... Super Brook Jump!" He jumped into the middle of the circling Pokemon, trapping himself with Melody. Crawford suppressed a smirk and I face-palmed.

"Are you okay, Melody? You're not hurt?" Melody shook her head. "Good. Now, erm... Ah. Anyone know a way out?" Brook asked no one in particular.

"C'mon, let's take out the Gigaremos." Crawford said. He had captured a Growlithe, and used it on the green one. When the pulsing continued, we looked around and found a blue one. I scanned it.

"Two electric." I said. "I thought little Elekid would come in handy." I ordered Elekid to destroy the Gigaremo, which he did with ease before running off.

We ran back to see Melody and Brook free of the Pokemon. "Are you okay?" I asked Melody.

"Yup. Thank you, Isaac's friend!" She said happily.

"I don't know what to say for myself." Brook muttered.

"I saw some bad looking people go to the harbor!" Melody confided.

"The harbor?" Crawford quickly confirmed. Melody nodded.

"Good job, Rangers!" Brook said, over his self pity as quickly as it started. "I'll see little Melody home. Her brother's at work a lot, so old Brook is like a temporary big brother to her! Come along, Melody!" Melody waved goodbye to us and allowed herself to be led home by Brook.

"C'mon, we need to clear the harbor." Crawford said. I nodded and followed him there. There was another Gigaremo somewhere, as the Pokemon were hypnotized and my ears were ringing. We came to a building. "I hear voices." Crawford muttered. He gestured to the building and we hid behind it, peeking around the side.

A whole group of the black-uniformed men were there, surrounding a man in a nicer uniform with a hypnotized Toxicroak, who I assumed was an higher-up of some kind. The two goons from before were reporting to the higher-up.

"Some no-good Rangers were wrecking the Gigaremo units!" One said.

"It's because we took so long installing them!" The other moaned. "It's not our fault they're so damn heavy!"

"We managed to score some data from the experiment." The admin mused. I looked at Crawford and mouthed experiment? He shrugged. "We should ditch this backwater place and scat before there's any more trouble."

"They're planning on leaving!" Crawford whispered. "We can't let them get away... Let's chance it and confront them."

I gave him a you're the boss look, and followed him out from behind the building. "Hey, you!" Crawford yelled. "You've got some questions to answer!"

"Like, who are you, why are you here, and what was that 'experiment' you mentioned?" I added. The goons backed up, startled.

"Y-you vandals!" One stuttered. "What do you have against Gigaremos?! Treat things with respect!"

"I'll respect them when they've earned it!" I retorted.

"Who are we, you ask?" Another goon said superiorly. "We're Team Dim Sun, the crime syndicate with dreams of world domination! We came to Pueltown to see if the Gigaremo would really let us control Pokemon like puppets!"

"How dare you?!" Crawford yelled angrily. "Pokemon are living things, not tools to do your dirty work!"

"World domination?" I muttered, fuming about the Pokemon-Puppet comment. "You're an amitious bunch of idiots, aren't you?"

"Why yes we-wait a minute, who you callin'-"

"Well, when it comes to you, the idiot comment is right." The admin snapped. "Why did you tell them anything?"

"I-I didn't..." The goon stammered. "They took advantage of my kindness! I'll make them forget what I said! Rattatta! Attack!" A group of Rattatta ran out and started mauling Crawford, who yelled in pain.

"Crawford!" I cried, and Pachirisu ran forward, shocking the Rattatta and allowing me to capture them. Crawford was bleeding all over.

"Thanks." He gasped out as his Budew whirled around him, crooning worriedly and launching vines as temporary bandages.

"You idiot!" The admin spat. "Rattatta?! Enough fooling around! Go, Toxicroak!" The Toxicroak screeched at me and attacked.

I loosed the Capture Disc, whirling it around Toxicroak, dodging the poisonous blobs and gas he launched, and avoiding his Poison Jab. After a few loops, he calmed down. I let my arm fall. Suddenly, it attacked again, getting me in the stomach with Poison Jab.

I gasped in pain, and the world swam before my eyes. I was dimly aware of Crawford yelling, Dim Sun goons laughing. Suddenly, I was shocked back into awareness. Literally. Pachirisu had snapped me out of it with Discharge. Still breathing heavily and nearly doubled over in pain, I captured Toxicroak for real this time. It blinked, confused, then ran off.

The admin glared at me. "No matter." He said, his voice shaking with anger. "The experiment was a success. It would be a waste of time to engage them further. Underlings! Load the Gigaremo onto the boat!" The goons scurried to obey his orders, and the admin, with one final glare of loathing, jumped aboard. The boat left the dock, speeding away. I fell to my knees. Crawford ran over. He was bleeding heavily from several gashes, but he helped me up.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded weakly.

"You?" He somehow managed a grin.

"Never better."

"Hey, Rangers!" Brook ran over. "I didn't know they came by boat! My raising the bridge was useless! Tell you what, I'll swim over there, and haul them back, boat and all! You just let me take care of things!" Before we could protest, he jumped off the dock and started swimming in the direction the boat had gone. After a minute, a sailor came over.

"What's been going on here?" He asked. "The Pokemon have been acting strange, and Brook's swimming off, sandals between his teeth."

"There were some people who were abusing Pokemon." Crawford explained. "They escaped in their ship, and Brook's chasing after them."

"Ah, I get it. 'Just let me take care of things'. Am I right?" I nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. Brook's a strong swimmer, but there's no way he's catching up to a speed boat. He'll be back soon. In fact, here he is now!"

Brook climbed onto the dock, sopping wet. "They got away!" He spluttered. "I didn't know they came in a speed boat!"

"Pueltown's famous for its salty sea breeze and Brook here." The sailor said, laughing.

"We should head back." Crawford said. "Let me just report to Barlow." He Voicemailed Barlow and quickly filled him in on the situation. Then, exhausted and bleeding, we trudged back to the base.

"Are you guys okay?" Barlow asked the moment we came inside. Elaine came over and started treating our wounds as soon as we sat down.

"We'll live." Crawford said. "Although, more than one of these cuts is gonna scar..."

"You'll be fine, Crawford." Elaine said. "Kate, that's a nasty bruise, and it's pretty seriously infected. I want you in bed, now." I was too tired to even reply. I just nodded and allowed myself to be supported into my room. Once I'd lain down, Pachirisu, instead of fussing over me and chittering worriedly, merely crooned, and snuggled in next to me. I smiled slightly and scratched her behind the ears.

"I'll be okay, Pachi." I murmured. "I just..." Then I passed out.


	11. Chapter 11: The Magic of Pudding

**YAY ON TIME UPDATE! Told you I'd get it eventually! Anyway, here's chapter 11! Hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters, creatures, or plotlines.**

Chapter Eleven

The Magic of Pudding

"Kate?" Martha poked her head into my room. I was going to be back on active duty today, and I was dressed, sitting on my bed, brushing Pachirisu's fur, which had become way too unruly without my noticing. I was mostly recovered, but I still had a throbbing bruise on my stomach.

"Yeah, Martha?"

"You have a video transmission from Fiore, if you'd like to take it."

"Of course!" I replied, grinning in anticipation of seeing my friends.

"I'll patch it through to your laptop, then." Martha left, and, after a minute, Keith, Rythmi, and Ben's faces popped up on my screen. Keith's slightly burnt face looked angry, Ben looked concerned, and Rythmi looked a combination of the two.

"Hey, guys. What's up?" I asked apprehensively.

"What's up!?" Keith exclaimed. "What's up?! I'll tell you what's up. I come back from the Temple after whaling on an egomaniacal, pink-obsessed baddie, and being burnt within an inch of my life, and what's the first thing I see?"

"Um... A reception committee? A burn treatment?" I suggested.

"No! I see a letter from Crawford-Crawford!-saying that you had been seriously injured! Care to explain exactly why we are hearing this from Crawford and not you?" Keith said furiously.

"Are you okay? You look okay. You are okay, right? You weren't, like, too hurt to write us, and-" Ben fussed. I laughed, wincing slightly at the ache in my stomach.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Ben." I assured.

"Then why did you wince just then?" Rythmi demanded.

"Well, when one is hit by a powerful Poison Jab in the stomach by an angry, hypnotized Toxicroak, one's stomach is a little sore for a couple days afterward." I said wryly. "But I'm fine. I'm back on active duty today."

"How active?" Ben asked.

"Um... Minimal?"

"Great. So, you nearly die, and forget to tell us. Some best friend you are." Keith muttered. I glared at him.

"I didn't tell you, 'cause I didn't want you to worry." I said, annoyed.

"But we'd want to worry about something like this, Kate." Rythmi said. I was startled to see tears in her eyes. "I mean, how would we feel if we were just going about our business as usual and y-you..." She trailed off.

"Oh. Oh." I said, finally understanding. "Guys, I was never going to die. It wasn't life threatening. I'm fine. I just didn't want you to worry about me, that's all. I'm okay now. Really." I added at Keith's look of skepticism. "You don't need to worry. But you guys probably want to know what happened in Pueltown."

"We already read about it in the newspaper." Ben said. "But I think I'd like to hear it first hand." I explained the events in Pueltown, trying to the battle with the Pincher admin sound less dangerous than it was.

"So, those machines are called Gigaremos?" Asked Keith. I nodded. "These people are sick. Sick and twisted."

"Got that right." Said Ben shakily. "My other sister, Summer, she was training here in Fiore when Go-Rock Squad took over. Teams like these... They're not afraid to maim. Most of them probably wouldn't kill, but the higher up you go, the lower the morality rate goes. It's always the same with these people."

There was a silence as we digested this information. "Well, I gotta go, guys." I said finally. "First day back on active duty and all... See ya." They said goodbye, and I switched off my laptop.

When I went into the main room with Pachirisu on my shoulder, Barlow, Crawford, Luana, and the others were eating Milk Pudding, being served by Big Bertha. "Thanks." I said, accepting my bowl. Pachirisu squealed with delight at being presented with a cup, and proceeded to stuff her face.

"Oh, hey, Kate." Crawford said. "You didn't have to get up just for breakfast. I wouldn't have let your share go to waste."

"Ha ha." I retorted as Big Bertha walked over to where Ollie was tied to his chair. He was staring at the pudding hungrily.

"That guy refuses to say a thing." Barlow said in response to Bertha's questioning look.

"And that's a valid reason for starving him...?" Elaine muttered, glaring at her leader. It's hard to look menacing while holding a bowl of pudding, but Elaine gave it her best shot.

"Just stick a spoon in his mouth, that'll be plenty." Barlow continued around a spoonful of his own.

"Now, hush." Bertha snapped. "That's no way to treat anyone, an' he looks the 'ungriest of ev'ryone 'ere. Now, here, have as much as you like." She said, suddenly gentle as she spoon-fed Ollie pudding. "Now, slow down. You don't have to chew this stuff. Tasty, isn't it?"

"Urf..." Ollie mumbled. "I... I don't deserve this..." Suddenly he burst into tears. "The V-Vein forest fire, it was all my fault. I'm c-clumsy, and I spilled the Gigaremo fuel everywhere, then a wire s-sparked, and it all caught. I don't even know those guys, I just met one long ago, and he asked me if I wanted some easy money, and I accepted. Y-your milk pudding was d-delicious..." Ollie finished in a whimper.

"Now, how can he wipe his eyes when he's all tied up like that." Bertha said, a satisfied look on her face as Barlow stared between her and Ollie in disbelief.

"Uh... Kate... Could you...?" Barlow said, gesturing to Ollie.

"You got it, sir." I said, amused, but not for long. I worked at the knot, straining and pulling at it. "It...just...won't...come...out!" I said after a few minutes. My fingers were burning slightly from the constant rubbing against the ropes.

"Let me help." Luana said, bounding over. She strained at the ropes for a while, until finally giving up. "Elaine, there's got to be something in your tool belt for this." She said desperately.

"I thought you'd never ask." Elaine said, smiling and pulling out a long, sharp knife. She easily sided the ropes open. Ollie jumped up.

"Freedom!" He cried.

"That's he ropes untied." Barlow said. "Or, rather, sliced apart. Let's hear it for Elaine, our queen of dismantling!"

"Speaking of dismantling, Kate." Crawford said, coming up to me. "Elaine and Prof. Hastings took the Gigaremo apart while you were unconscious. They found a tiny black shard inside."

"That was what was powering the Gigarama." Barlow said.

"Gigaremo." I corrected.

"Don't sweat the details! I just got the 'giga' part wrong, anyway." Barlow said, shrugging. I face-palmed. "Bertha, thank you kindly for your delicious milk pudding. And Ollie... You're free to go. Thank you for coming clean about everything you know." He turned to adress the Rangers. "So, we have a new crime syndicate. Their name-Team Dim Sun. I want someone to go out on patrol, just to be on the safe side... Let's see... Kate, you go."

"Sir, yes, sir!" I said, grinning and saluting. I ran out of the base, almost feeling like pulling an Ollie and yelling "freedom!"

"Hey, Kate, wait up!" Speaking of Ollie, I turned to see him run out of the base. "My m-friend lives in Chicole Village. I haven't kept in touch with her, and I'd like to see her, but... I'm too embarrassed to face it alone. Could you escort me, please?"

"Of course. I was heading down into Chicole, anyway." I said. We walked down Chicole Path, and were about to enter the village when the little girl whose house I'd staid in ran up.

"Sister!"

"Not your sister." I corrected wearily.

"Ranger, then! Please help, a hat ghost appeared on our Partner Farm!" She sqealed. She grabbed my hand and started dragging me into town.

"A hat ghost?" Ollie asked. "We'll see my friend later, this is more important."

We came to the farm, where the father was staring apprehensively at a wobbling hat. "It is a hat ghost!" Ollie cried.

"Somehow, I doubt it." I muttered. I walked up to it, and it bounced away. I snuck up on it, and tipped the hat over. Underneath it was a highly distressed Kricketot. I captured it with ease. It chittered, then ran off. "See? Just a Kricketot." I said.

"Oh. I was saying it was something like that." The father said. Then he noticed our skeptical looks. "I did say that, you remember."

"Kate? Can we go to my friend's house now?" Ollie asked. I nodded, and followed him to Mrs. William's house. "…Mom," Ollie said once we'd walked in. "I'm sorry I left you all alone for such a long time…I, um, how should I say this…I'm just so, so awkward and clumsy, and I just fail at everything I do. Mom, I've always caused you to be worried…That's all I've ever been good at. But, um…Please, I'm s-sorry, and um…I'm home, Mom." Mrs. William turned and smiled at her son.

"That's all I wanted to hear." She said, tears glistening on her face. "Not that you're sorry, not that you hurt me. Just that you're home." They hugged each other. "Kate, thank you for bringing my son home." She said over Ollie's shoulder.

"N-no problem." I said, choking up a little at the scene. "I'll, um, just leave you two alone, then." I left, heading back to the Ranger Base after completing a few quests. It was sunset before

"Well, Kate? Anything out of the ordinary?" Barlow asked once I came in.

"Nope. Just a couple of Pokemon mistaken for ghosts, a woman concerned about the Combee after the fire, and I escorted Ollie home." I reported. My stomach was throbbing again, and my eyes were drooping with weariness.

"It's your first day back on the job." Barlow observed. "You must be exhausted. Get to bed, you should be fully recovered in the morning."

"Yes, sir." I said gratefully before going to my room and collapsing on the bed, asleep.


	12. Chapter 12: The Not-So-Tranquil Sea

**Sorry for the long wait! School's started up again-getting adjusted to High School, and whenever it seemed that I had a moment, something would come up! But, I'm back, hopefully regularly now!**

**Disclaimer; I do not own Pokemon, or any of their characters, creatures, or senarios.**

Chapter Twelve

The Not-So-Tranquil Sea

I woke up the next morning, before Pachirisu for once. I frowned and felt my stomach. Then I smiled. There was still an ugly purple splotch on it, but the pain had mostly faded.

After a few minutes, Pachirisu woke up and clambered onto my shoulder, and we went into the main room. Luana was reading a paper on the Top Rangers, Elaine was going over the machine again, and Crawford was gearing up to go out on patrol. Something big was missing.

"Where's Barlow?" I asked the room at large.

"He had to attend a meeting at the Ranger Union about Team Dim Sun and their Gigaremos." Crawford explained. "Well, I'm off on patrol. See ya." He jogged out of the Base, Budew in hot pursuit. Suddenly, my Styler beeped.

"Voicemail! Voicemail!" It was Barlow. "Kate, we have a situation here. I need you to come to Pueltown ASAP! Got it?"

"Sure thing, sir." I said, saluting out of habit, even though he couldn't see me. I ran off after scarfing down a small breakfast of slightly burnt toast and orange juice Luana had made me.

I paused at Lookout Ridge to observe the tower's continuing construction when my Styler beeped again. "Voicemail! Voicemail, I say!" Hastings called. "Hastings here! We need you here now, Kate!"

"I'm nearly there. I'll be there in a few minutes." I said, struggling to keep the impatience out of my voice. I ran the rest of the way, and finally came into Pueltown. Knowing that they were going to the Union, I headed to the bridge. Barlow and Hastings were waiting there.

"Ranger Kate, reporting for duty." I said, saluting. Pachirisu did the same from her perch on my shoulder.

"Good morning, Kate!" Barlow greeted. "Now, as you can see, we have a bit of a situation here." He gestured to the bridge, which was up. I glanced at the operator's booth. It was empty.

"Norward Bridge is stuck open, and the bridge operator is nowhere in sight." Hastings surmised. "We need you to find Brook."

"Brook?" A woman asked. "I saw him over by the harbor earlier." Barlow and I nodded, then ran over to the harbor, where we saw Brook tapping his foot impatiently, looking out at the sea.

"Brook? Where have you been!? And why is the bridge still up?" I asked as we drew up to him.

"Oh, I'd like to see the bridge down as much as you two." He said, looking irritated. "But the key's at the bottom of the ocean! It fell out of my pocket when I was chasing those Dim Sun goons!"

"Oh, great." I muttered.

"Kate, take a boat and retrieve the bridge key." Barlow ordered. "And use this." He brought out a small device. I took it uncertainly.

"What is it?"

"It's a Micro Aqualung. It lets you breath underwater." Barlow said. He looked uncomfortable. "I'll, ah... Stay up here. It... It'll be better this way."

"Okay." I said, trying not to smirk. "Pachi, you stay up here with Barlow. We can't have you electrocuting the entire ocean." She reluctantly got off my shoulder and went to stand by Makuhita.

"The least I can do is take you out on my boat." Brook offered. "No thanks to the Gigaremo incident, all the boats out of Pueltown have been closed. What I can do is ask a good friend of mine to lend me his boat. You just let me take care of things!"

"Thanks, Brook." I said, smiling slightly. Soon enough, we were speeding over the water on a boat driven by Brook's friend.

"Stop!" Brook cried over a particularly deep patch of water. "This is where it fell out, I think. Good luck finding it. You'll need it."

With the Aqualung in my mouth, it was difficult to talk, but I gave him my best "shut it" look, then dove down.

Underwater was beautiful. Close to the surface,you could see rays of sunshine coming down into the water. Fish Pokemon swam and played peacefully. I took a moment to admire the beauty, then set to work.

I saw the key on an outcropping of rock, and swam towards it. I was just about to grab it when a Sharpedo sped over, knocking me easily out of the way and terrifying a nearby Lanturn, then sped off with the key in his mouth. "Really?!" I cried, my voice so distorted and bubbly that it was almost impossible to understand. Suddenly my Styler beeped.

"Voicemail! Voicemail! Kate, this is Barlow. Have you secured the key?" Barlow asked.

"No, a Sharpedo stole it." I gurgled.

"A torpedo bowled it?"

"No! A Shar-pe-do stole it!" I said exaspratedly, sounding out every syllable in an attempt to be comprehendible.

"A Sharpedo stole it?" Barlow confirmed.

"Yes!"

"Go after it, then! I'm upgrading this to a full Mission! Retrieve the Key from the Sharpedo! Get to it!" He hung up before I could reply, thankfully.

I turned to see the Lanturn swimming and crying hysterically. I hurried forward and captured it, which was interesting underwater. It calmed down, then gazed at me adoringly.

"You can go now." I bubbled. She just gazed at me. "You... Can... Go... Now." Nothing happened. "You want to be my Partner?" She gave a cry of agreement. "Okay. I could use your help." She snuggled up next to me, then gestured that I should climb on her back. I did so, and she sped off after the Sharpedo.

Farther on, what looked like bits of a shipwreck blocked the way. I captured some Staryu to smash it apart. Past the bits of wood was a huge abyss. Lanturn crooned nervously. As I watched, the Sharpedo sped across the abyss. My Styler beeped again.

"Voicemail! Voicemail! Kate, this is Barlow. You can use Mantine to cross crevices underwater." I made a passable sound of assent and he hung up. I went farther up the crevice and found a Mantine. With Lanturn's help, I captured it with mild difficulty, then rode it across the abyss, keeping Lanturn calm as we went. On the other side, another Mantine floated around peacefully. I captured this one, just in case, and proceeded in the direction that Sharpedo had gone. My Styler beeped again. "Voicemail! Voicemail! Sharpedo swim extremely quickly, or so I'm told. You'll have to catch fast moving currents to catch up to him. I bubbled a yes, and he hung up.

In the next area, the Sharpedo was swimming around, top speed, and there were quick currents everywhere. I mounted Lanturn, and she took off, catching all the currents, but still barely fast enough. Remembering when I was capturing Speedy during the Initiation Ceremony, I looped my Styler whenever I came close enough. Finally it was captured. It came up to me, looking a little sick. With growing suspicion, I opened its mouth and it spat out the little tiny key. I shook my head, then released the Sharpedo, which looked consiserably healthier without a key in it's stomach. Wearily, I returned to the surface, saying goodbye to Lanturn, who crooned sadly. Brook stared at me in astonishment when I handed him the key.

"You did it!" He cried. "I thought that key was lost forever. Thanks, Kate!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Brook." I said jokingly. I reported to Barlow over Voicemail, and when we returned to the harbor, he congragulated me, and gave me a rank up. Happily, I spinned and did my Ranger pose, then was attacked by Pachirisu, who was highly irritated with me for leaving her behind.

"I got to admit, you're really starting to impress me, Kate." Barlow said on the way to Norward Bridge. "Wasn't it rough underwater?"

"Yeah, but I had a Lanturn's help to ride me around, so it wasn't so bad." I replied modestly.

"You weren't intimidated by all that water?"

"Nope. It was actually very beautiful down there."

"You could open your eyes?"

"Yeah. I always loved swimming when I was little, so I had lots of practice." I said, looking at him oddly. "You didn't swim at all as a kid?"

"Ah, well..." Barlow said awkwardly, but was saved from answering the question by our arrival at Norward Bridge.

"Ah, Kate, Barlow, good to see you back with the bridge operator." Hastings greeted. "I trust the Micro Aqualung preformed to its specifications? One of our researchers designed it. He's quite proud of himself. But never mind that, the bridge is lowered, let us proceed."

About halfway across the bridge, a cheerful, slightly chubby man was waiting for us. "Professor!" He cried. "It's great to see you! We were so worried, it's unlike your impatient self to spend the night anywhere else."

"Ah, Murph!" Hastings said happily. "Who are you calling impatient? Come along, Barlow, we have a meeting to attend." And without further ado, they proceeded down the bridge, leaving Murph and I to deal with the abrupt end to the conversation.

"And who am I...?" Murph sighed. Then he turned to me. "Hi, I'm Murph. I'm head of PR for the Union, so I have access to all their databases. You must be Kate, right?"

"Yup. I just got back from an underwater mission." I said, shaking his hand.

"You must be exhuasted."

"I'm a little tired." I admitted.

"C'mon, I know a great place up ahead for goofing off-I mean, relaxing, yeah, that's what I meant!" I laughed, and followed him across the bridge. On the other side was a park of sorts, with trees, lawns, fountains, and benches. People were sitting on the benches or the grass, talking and laughing and relaxing. "This is Altru Park." Murph said. "Have you ever heard of Altru Inc?"

"Only in passing, my friend from the Ranger School works there." I replied, shrugging. "They work in energy, right?" Suddenly, as though talking about him had conjured him up, I saw a blonde, mushroom cut head walking towards the main building. "Isaac!" He turned, saw me, and grinned.

"Kate!" He said, running up to me. "It's great to see you! Why are you here?"

"I just finished a mission, and Murph here was showing me Altru Park." I explained. "Speaking of which, how's working at Altru?"

"It's amazing, and nearby, too!" Isaac said enthusiastically. "How would you like a tour?"

"I'd love it!" I replied, and he led Murph and I up past the park. A huge, purple tower that was still partially under construction was standing over the building. "So that's the huge tower." I said, looking up at it. "It looks cooler here than from Lookout Ridge."

"I know what you mean." Murph agreed. "From the ridge, it's obviously still under construction. But right in front of it, it looks cool."

Isaac led us into the building. "This," He said, gesturing expansively. "Is Altru's main atrium. It has the front desk, and a museum for visitors to learn about Altru's history." He led us around, showing us the exhibits. Finally, we came to a wall with three portraits. "Here we have Altru's presidents. The one on the far left is our founder and first president, Doyle M. Hall. In the middle is his son and our second president, Brighton Hall. And on the end is our third and current president-"

Just then, the doors opened, and two men, one a greasy, sleazy looking, hunched over man with green hair and a purple suit, the other a tall, upright man with sunglasses and dark black hair slicked back into a ponytail. He made eye contact with me, and I supressed a shudder. I was sure that hatred glowed behind those glasses, as sure as I had been the first time Kincaid looked at me.

"President Hall!" An employee called. "Welcome back, sir!" Everyone crowded around him, greeting their beloved employer.

"Ah, yes, thank you, my people." He said, waving with lazy grace.

"'My people'?" I muttered.

"I ask that you take care not to overwork yourselves." He continued. "Let us all continue working towards a brighter future for Almia."

"That will do, that will do." The sleazy man said, his voice irritatingly squeaky and nasally, almost like he was part rodent. "We must not inconvenience our customers. Back to your posts, staff!" The workers trickled back to their places.

"That," Said Isaac. "Is our third and current President, Blake Hall. You're really lucky to see him in person. What a coincidence!" Mr. Hall spotted us and walked over.

"Hello, Prof. Isaac. Your research is coming along well, I take it?"

"Yes, sir."

"And who are our Ranger guests?" He eyed us, and I felt that wave of veiled hatred wafting off of him as his face turned towards me.

"This is Murph, head of PR at the Ranger Union." Isaac introduced. "And this is Kate, an Area Ranger at Veintown. We were friends at the Ranger School, but in different classes. We just happened to run into each other, so I was giving her a tour."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Mr. Hall greeted, shaking my hand and then Murph's. I suppressed a shiver. "I've always admired Rangers for what they do and represent. You are to be commended."

"Thanks, sir." Murph and I said.

"May we all work together towards a brighter future for Almia... Speaking of which, shall we get back to work, Prof. Isaac?" Isaac jumped.

"Y-yes, sir!" He cried. He turned to me apologetically. "See you around, Kate." I waved goodbye as he walked away.

"Wohoho!" Murph cried excitedly. "We got to meet Altru's president! Awesome! How lucky are we?"

"Pretty lucky." I murmured, remembering that surge of hatred, even greater than Kincaid's-than anyone's.

"What's up, Kate?" He asked, noticing my less than enthusiastic reply.

"Something about that guy..." I muttered, then shook my head. "Never mind. Let's get out of here." We left the building, and my Styler beeped.

"Voicemail! Voicemail! Kate, this is Barlow. We need your help at the Counter-Gigaremo meeting."

"What kind of help?" I asked.

"We need you to bring us a Pokemon that can destroy a red Gigaremo." Barlow ordered. "Get Murph to show you the way, and get here as soon as you can! Barlow out!" He hung up.

"C'mon, there's a Bibarel over by the entrance to Pueltown." I said. Murph nodded, and followed me through Pueltown. I captured the Bibarel, only taking a little damage to the Styler, then turned to Murph expectantly.

"The Union's just west of Altru Park." Murph provided. "Come on, I'll show you the way." We jogged back into Altru Park, and turned west, running down a very scenic road with lots of trees, and cliffs off in the distance. Finally, we came to the Union.

"Here we are, at my workplace, the Union!" Murph said with an expansive gesture. The Union had a friendly atmosphere in great contrast to Altru's, which was all professional. Operators answered questions and concerns of a few citizens, and Area Rangers milled about. "Okay, work mode time! Kate, you've been requested at the Counter-Gigaremo meeting in the Conference Room on the second floor. Be there ASAP! See you later, Kate." Murph left for the conference room, and I followed a little later, after looking around the Union a bit.

An older woman with a cane and a friendly expression was standing next to Prof. Hastings. Barlow and a couple other rangers, one with wind-tossed green hair, the other with a cowboy hat and a different uniform, stood in front of them. A couple of Area Rangers stood off to the side, along with a few scientists. They appeared to be standing on a giant computer screen. Barlow turned when I entered.

"There you are, Kate!" He greeted. "You brought the Pokemon? Good! Now, let me show you why we need that Bibarel." He stepped aside to reveal a seemingly authentic red Gigaremo. "You're probably wondering why it didn't hypnotize the Pokemon in the building..."

"A little bit." I admitted, staring at the thing apprehensively.

"This is merely a copy." Hastings spoke up. "A replica without one key component." He pressed a button on his remote. The underfoot screen changed from a map of Almia to a diagram of a Gigaremo, showing the inside. One area was enlarged; a dark, angular crystal.

"This appears to be what powers the device." Hastings continued. "We are currently studying the shard removed from the Marine Cave Gigaremo in the hopes of discovering a method of disabling them en masse."

"Kate, we just need you to confirm the method of destroying one." Barlow said. "Please asked Bibarel to destroy the copy."

"Sure thing, sir." I replied, then conveyed the request to Bibarel, who quickly dispatched the machine with a powerful Water Gun. I thanked him, and he ran off somewhere. The Gigaremo stood in a heap of rubble, which the Area Rangers heaved up and cleared away. The Ranger with the wind-tossed hair came up to me.

"I just need to confirm a few things with you." She said. I nodded. "Okay, first question; they said the machines were called Gigaremos?"

"Yes."

"They went away in a speed boat?"

"Yes."

"They called themselves Team Dim Sun?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Is there anything else you feel you should mention?" The Ranger asked.

"Yeah. Tell the other Rangers to be on their guard. Pokemon normally would never attack unprovoked, but the Dim Sun's device makes them violent. A group of Rattatta mauled my mentor, and a Toxicroak nearly killed me with a Poison Jab. It tricked me into thinking it was captured. Dim Sun... They're brutal." I finished. The Ranger nodded and thanked me before walking off to report to the woman with the cane, who I finally recognized as Chairperson Erma. Barlow came up to me.

"It's pretty late, and you've got to be exhuasted from the underwater mission." He said.

"Tell me about it." I replied, yawning.

"Tell you what? Let's bunk down here for the night." Barlow said decisively. "Grab a room, we'll leave in the morning."

"Yes, sir!" I said, saluting. I ran off to the guest rooms and collapsed on a bed, almost immediately asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**GOSH-FRICKING—**

**Erm… Sorry about that. Just raging at my chronic writer's block. But, let there be rejoicing, it is gone now, I have another chapter after this written and ready to be uploaded Saturday (that is, if anyone has stuck with me thus far). I am so, so sorry for the long wait, I know I hate it when people do this to me, so I'll try to be better about it after this!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pokemon or any of their characters, creatures, or senarios.**

Chapter Thirteen

On the Edge

Something hot was blowing on my face. Keeping my eyes shut right, pretending I was sleeping, I mentally prepared myself to throw whatever it was off me and give it the whooping of a lifetime. I tensed my muscles, clenched my fists, and opened my eyes to find...

"Pacha?" Pachirisu was perched on my chest, bending down over my head, just staring at me.

"Pachirisu!" I exclaimed, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "Don't just stare at me like that, honestly..."

She gave a chitter that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. Muttering slightly, I got dressed and went down to the main room of the Ranger Union, Pachirisu perched on my shoulder (per usual). Barlow was waiting there for me, his Makuhita standing alert at his side.

"Morning, Kate? Sleep well?" Barlow asked.

"Like a rock. You?" I replied, stretching.

"Likewise, which is just as well, since we're heading back to Veintown today and we've got a long walk ahead of us. You ready?" Barlow asked.

"You betcha." I answered. "Let's get going." We jogged out of the Ranger Base and down the path towards Pueltown. Just as we were coming to the crossroads, a tremor shook the ground.

"What in the-an earthquake? They hardly ever happen around here." Barlow said, confused. Makuhita stomped the ground nervously.

"Oh, what on earth?" A woman cried, stepping out of her house. "Did that perhaps have something to do with the geological survey?"

"What do you mean, ma'am?" I asked quickly.

"Oh, a man with some very large Pokemon came by a while ago with a computer-laptop-thingy." The woman said airily. "I asked him what he was up to, and he said he was going to conduct a geological survey in the Peril Cliffs. Poor dear probably didn't get out often, he stuttered ever so much."

"Geological survey? All surveys in Pokemon populated areas need to be cleared by the Ranger Union, and all the base leaders are informed." Barlow mused. "I didn't get anything about a geological survey, but maybe it missed me. I'll check with Crawford." He stepped away to talk to Crawford as the sound of something breaking came from inside the woman's house. I stepped into the doorway to see a man struggling with some jam pots as his wife scolded him.

"Now, Henry, you need to be careful with those! How else will we get fruit in the winter?" She said, shaking her finger at him.

"S'not my fault the darn jars decided to fall out of the cupboard during the earthquake!" Henry protested. I giggled and went back over to Barlow, sobering up when I saw his grim look.

"Crawford says he hasn't heard anything about a geological survey in the Peril Cliffs." He said. "We should go check this out. At best, this guy is conducting a survey without a permit. At worst..."

"He's up to no good." I finished. "I'm ready when you are, Barlow."

"New Mission, Kate!" Barlow boomed. "Seek the Origin of the Quake! Let's get to it!"

"Roger that, sir!" I said, saluting only half-mockingly and following him up the left path. I gasped at the view as we came out of the forest; great, breathtaking cliffs covered in hanging plants such as vines and moss, with beautiful orchids sprouting where water seeped out of the rocks, forming colorful hanging gardens.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Barlow said when he noticed my awestruck face. "Beautiful and deadly. Keep your wits about you, Kate. This is a dangerous place. Long drops, testy Pokemon, high winds..." He frowned. "Speaking of, is that the wind, or do I hear something strange?"

"I hear it, too." I said, cocking my head to the side. "It sounds kind of familiar... I can't place it exactly, it's not clear enough."

"Well, let's get climbing." He said. We started up some vines that were thick enough to hold our weight and, just as we pulled ourselves over the top, another tremor shook the ground. "Damn quakes. If one of those goes off while we're climbing..." Barlow muttered discontentedly.

"I think the sound's coming from over there." I said, pointing across a gap between our cliff and one relatively level with it. "How we're going to get over there, however..."

"Oh, that's simple enough." Barlow answered, walking up to a large leaf at the edge of the cliff. "This'll get us over in no time."

"Um... How? It's a giant leaf, what can we do, use it as a hanglider?" I asked.

"I don't know who named it, but this is Springy Grass." Barlow said, smiling reminiscently. "Man, this stuff used to keep me entertained for hours when I was a kid. You jump on it, and it flings up in the air. Give it a shot; doesn't hurt a bit."

"If you say so." I said dubiously, and jumped on it. Sure enough, it bounced me up and over the gap. I stumpled to a landing just as Barlow jumped, landing a bit more gracefully than me. "We don't have those in Fiore. That was awesome!" I said breathlessly.

"God, I love those things." Barlow said fondly. "Wait a minute; the sound's getting louder."

"I recognize it now!" I exclaimed. It's a-"

"Gigaremo." Barlow finished grimly as we turned a corner. The cliff Pokemon were all running around, hypnotized and in pain. The ominous pulsing of a Gigaremo sounded through the area. "Well, if we weren't sure before we are now; our scientist is up to no good." Barlow muttered.

"Look!" I cried, pointing. Down below, a man in a Dim Sun outfit was typing away at a laptop, while two hypnotized Rampardos slammed their heads repeatedly into the cliff face, causing a small tremor with each impact. "He's hurting them! We have to help!" I yelled.

"We need to take out those Gigaremo's first. Look, they're making those Pokemon form a barricade, we'd never make it past them." Barlow said firmly, pointing. Sure enough, hypnotized Pokemon blocked the only path to the Dim Sun goon. "We can climb the vines to the other side here." He lead the way, showing me how to swing and dodge hypnotized Gligars that hung on the vines. We quickly made our way across, and ran to the Gigaremo.

"It yellow, like the one I saw Dim Sun escape with at Pueltown." I noted, scanning the device with my Styler. "It needs a crush factor of 2."

"There were some Mawiles back there. I'll go get one, and take care of this Gigaremo. If you get the other, and take out the one over there, we should be free to get to the Rampardos. And that Dim Sun goon." Barlow said. I nodded, and we went off in different directions.

I found the Mawile and, with Pachirisu's help, captured it. Luckily, it was just outside the Gigaremo's range, so it stayed with me and destroyed the machine. I returned to the first machine just as Barlow asked his own Mawile to destroy it. It was obliterated in seconds, and the Pokemon came to their senses as the pulsing sound faded.

"No wonder it only needed crush. They're plastic!" I said, picking up a fragment of the machine. "They were probably trying to make it lighter. But they're destroyed now, so it doesn't matter."

"Good. Now we can get to that man." Barlow said, satisfied. We jogged over the now-clear pass. "Wait, Kate. Rampardos are very strong Rock-Types. Pachirisu won't be much help, so you'll be relying on skill alone. Are you sure you're ready?" He warned.

"Ready? I was born ready, Barlow." I said, smiling confidently.

"That's what I like to hear! Let's do this!" Barlow cried, jumping down and running up to the man, me right behind him. "Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?"

"Wh-who, me?" The man stuttered, whirling around and hiding his computer screen behind his back. "I-I'm just conducting a s-survey. Of the soil. Yeah, the s-soil. That's what this computer's for, see? I-I'm seeing if there's any difference between the soil composition and cliff composition.

"You know you need a permit for that." I challenged. "And if you're conducting a survey, what's the soil made out of?"

"O-oh!" The man cried. "W-well, there's lots of... Iron! Yes, lots of iron, and... Nickel, and... Minerals... Oh, screw it! You were good to see past my disguise!" The man yelled.

"Doesn't take a genius to tell you're Dim Sun." Barlow said. "Release these Pokemon, or I'm gonna stop asking nicely!"

"Why don't you make me! Rampardos! Attack!" The Dim Sun goon yelled, typing furiously on his computer as the Rampardos charged, one at each of us. We glanced at each other, nodded, and dodged to opposite sides.

I leaped in the air, twirling my Styler around the Rampardos as it roared angrily, it's face contorted with pain. It picked up a boulder and flung it at me. I dodged, jumping aside again and looping the tortured creature. We repeated the cycle, me dancing around the clearing, dodging boulders and looping the Rampardos. After about ten minutes of this, just when I thought I would collapse from exhaustion, the blue bubble appeared around Rampardos, and he was captured.

"Aw, yeah! That's my girl!" Barlow yelled from where he had captured his own Rampardos. The two dinosaur Pokemon regarded each other confusedly, then ran off.

"No!" The Dim Sun goon cried, kicking the smoldering remains of his computer. "The experiment's a failure! Now, you listen hear, meddling Rangers! You best keep out of our business, or we'll make certain you regret it!"

"You'll be regretting it if you don't get the hell out of here!" I yelled. The man fled with his broken machine. "Sleazy low-life. He isn't worth the dirt he stands on." I said disgustedly.

"Worth less, in my opinion." Barlow muttered, shaking his head. "I'll call in a report to Erma. Then we can head home."

Barlow and I skidded to a halt. Barlow had decided it was high time I learned to ride a Doduo, which was both extremely fun and extremely fast. We thanked our Doduo and released them, then went inside the Ranger Base.

"Welcome back!" Crawford greeted. "Heard there was some Dim Sun activity over in the Peril Cliffs. Everything okay?"

"A-okay, Crawford." Barlow assured him, great fully accepting a cup of coffee from Martha. "Kate here's got some new callouses, though, ha!"

"And to think I used to enjoy rock climbing." I said in mock regret. Everyone laughed.

"Aw, Kate, we'll make a jokester of you yet!" Crawford cried, wiping a pretend tear of pride from his face.

"Shut up!" I said, laughing. "Luana out on patrol?"

"That's right. Oh! Video call for you, Kate, from Fiore. You want it in your room?" Martha asked.

"Yeah, thanks Martha!" I said, glancing at Barlow, who nodded his assent. Grinning, I ran to my room and flipped open my laptop to see Keith looking at me soberly.

"Hey, Kei-what happened, what's wrong?" I asked, taking in his grim expression. Pachirisu chittered, sensing my nervousness.

"Nothing, it's just that Ben was hurt today on patrol. Dim Sun roughed him up a bit." Keith growled. "They distracts Lunick and went after him, hit him a couple of times. This Starly stopped them, never seen a bird so angry, just clawed at the goons again and again. I thought you'd want to know."

"H-He'll be okay, right? He's not hurt too badly?" I asked.

"Naw, he'll be fine. I was going to have you talk to him, if you like." Keith offered.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Dim Sun did this? Dirty rotten... Sons of... Vile little... Agh!" I exclaimed, unable to think of insults bad enough for them. "You know what Barlow and I had to do? Chase them out of the Peril Cliffs! They used a Gigaremo on the Pokemon and forced some Rampardos to ram their heads into the wall, over and over again! They were defenseless! And they hurt Ben... I hate them, I hate them!" I yelled.

"Woah, woah, easy, easy. They're evil little bastards. I get it." Keith said, holding up his hands in the universal "Woah, Nellie" gesture. "But Ben'll be fine, you saved the Rampardos, everything going to be fine. 'Kay?"

"'Kay." I muttered. "Can I see Ben now?"

"Sure thing, I'll bring the computer to his room." The screen lifted and went across the hall. Keith knocked on the door; "Ben! Kate's on the computer! She wants to talk to you!"

"Come in!" Strangely, Rythmi's voice answered. Keith opened the door, and I saw Ben with Rythmi and another, stockier girl with blue hair sitting at his bedside who I assumed to be Solana. A boy, Lunick, probably, stood in the corner, looking slightly guilty. Ben lay in the bed.

"Oh, god. You... What did they do to you?" I asked. Ben winced. His face was cut and bruised.

"Seriously, Kate, it's not as bad as it looks. I'm fine." Ben said nervously.

"No, you're not, Ben!" I yelled. "Those, those... Agh! Whatever they are! I'm gonna... I'm gonna..."

"Kate, really. I'm okay." Ben assured me. "Seriously. Lunick gave them hell, you should have seen him."

"Wasn't much left to do, after that Starly had his way with em." Lunick said gruffly, looking away. Ben grinned, shifting slightly to reveal a Starly nestled in the covers next to him.

"He's my Partner Pokemon." Ben explained. "He saved me from the Dim Sun goons. Just flew at them, screeching. Freaked them right the hell out."

"Good for Starly. I think I like this bird." I laughed. Distantly, someone called for Keith, who grimaced.

"I gotta go. Kate?" He said.

"I should get to sleep, too. And, Ben?" He turned to me. "Please, please be careful. I worry about you guys just as much as you worry about me. Don't forget that." I said, then hung up.


	14. Chapter 14 Back to School

**I really am sorry this time. But I do have a new plan! I shall simply update once I get chapters done. This'll work. Promise**

**And special thanks to Olivia-Ivy for getting me motivated to update my stories! Thank you so much!**

Chapter Fourteen

Back to School

I woke up slowly; part of me didn't really want to get up, what with all the trouble that had been going on lately. But Pachirisu crooned worriedly, nuzzling my chin and making me smile, forcing me to get up to start the day.

"Morning, Kate." Crawford greeted. "Everything okay?"

"I-Yeah, why?" I asked, accepting a cup of coffee and a waffle.

"I heard you yell yesterday. You sounded pretty pissed. Something happen?" Crawford asked.

"No-yes." I admitted. "My friend from school, Ben, got beaten up by team Dim Sun. Keith had called to tell me."

"Ben? I remember him. Tall guy, kind of shy looking?" Crawford asked. I nodded. "Sons of bitches." He remarked mildly. "Don't worry about Ben, though. He'll be okay, he's a strong one. I could tell."

"I know. You know how worried they were when they found out about the Poison Jab thing?" I asked. "Keith was immensely pissed. I get that now... If I found out about this later, and never knew..."

"Well, that's one of the wisest lessons I have ever learned in life, young apprentice." Crawford said sagely. "Never piss off a girl."

"Damn straight." We turned to see Elain come out of her room. "Where's Luana and Barlow?"

"Luana's on patrol, and Barlow got called out to Boyleland on an emergency mission." Crawford said.

"What kind of mission?" I asked.

"All the Pokemon at the Boyle volcano have mysteriously... Disappeared." Crawford explained.

"Just gone? No sign of them?" Elaine asked.

"Not a trace." Crawford confirmed. "It's quite the mystery. The people of Boyleland are worried. You can see why they wanted Barlow on this job. He's well-known and well-trusted. He'll take care of this in no time. In the mean time, Kate," Crawford suddenly became professional, "I have a mission for you. Barlow was supposed to be the Ranger School's Outdoor Class teacher today, but as he's gone, I've sent word on ahead to let them know that a bright young star named Kate will be taking his place. Ms. April and Mr. Lamont both eagerly agreed. So, what do you say? Ranger School reunion?"

"Me? Be the Outdoor Class teacher?" I asked. "I'd love to! What do you say, Pachi?" Pachirisu chittered excitedly and did a lap around my shoulders. "Sounds like a yes to me. Mission accepted!"

"Best get to it, then! You remember how early school starts." Elaine said, smiling slightly. I grinned and nodded, then ran out the door and down the familiar path to the Ranger School. When I reached the bridge, she saw something that dampened my spirits considerably, then lit them on fire.

Two Dim Sun goons were typing commands into a computer, which was apparently forcing a Croagunk to do their bidding.

"There, spin around and around!" One goon cackled as the Croagunk span like a top. "Now, now, watch this-jump! Up and down, up and-"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" I asked coldly. Pachirisu chittered, sparks flying off her angrily. The goons looked up and yelled.

"Ranger!" One yelled, a lower rank. "Wh-what should we do, boss?"

"How long have you been standing there?" The other, an admin, asked.

"Long enough." I growled. "Release that poor Croagunk! Can't you see you're hurting it?"

"I got an idea. Let's show this Ranger what happens when they mess with the Miniremo!" The admin cried. "How about... Attack while laughing uncontrollably... Yeah, that's-" The Croagunk screeched in pain. "Gah! I hit the wrong keys! Come on, cancel cancel. Crap. We'll have to muscle our way through this one."

Remembering what they had done to Ben, I redied myself for a fist fight, but the goons just shoved the Croagunk towards me. Looking at them incredulously, I captured the frozen Croagunk in about two seconds, and released it.

"B-boss!" The goon yelled as the laptop-had they called it a Miniremo?-exploded. I realized it was the same kind of laptop Barlow and I had seen at the Peril Cliffs. "Th-this mission is a bust, sir. We should split!" The goon said frantically.

"Meddling Ranger. Let's give you a manners lesson, shall we-agh!" He cried out in pain as Pachirisu shot him with Discharge. "Fricking Pokemon!"

"That's my girl." I muttered.

"Chief, let's bail!" The goon urged.

"Bailing sounds pretty good to me, but where to?" The admin admitted. "That way's a Ranger with a pissy Pachirisu. And back there's a Ranger School full of teachers and mini Rangers. Which leaves..." He glanced over the edge of the bridge.

"Aw, boss!" The goon moaned.

"Geronimo!" The admin yelled, jumping over.

"Y-you'll pay for this!" The goon swore, following his boss over the edge.

"I doubt it." I muttered. "Awesome job, Pachirisu!" Pachirisu chittered happily at the praise, and nuzzled my cheek affectionately. "Let's get going." I said, running past the rest of the road and up to the gates. I walked through them slowly, taking in the sight of the Ranger School. It was exactly as it had been the day I left.

"Kate! You're here!" I turned to see Ms. April running up to me. I hugged her.

"Hey! Great to see you! Sorry to deprive you of Barlow, but he had a mission to take care of." I said.

"Oh, no need to apologize! Thank you for doing this Outdoor Class, Kate. You know how much it means to the students." Ms. April said, leading me to Ascension Square. Students were already gathered there, talking excitedly. I looked around, then frowned.

"Where's Mr. Kincaid? Hair spray fumes get him at last?" I asked.

"No, he quit unexpectedly. Mr. Wilson is our new teacher now." Ms. April replied, pointing out a young man with light brown hair and a friendly expression, marshaling his students to order. "Room still smells, though." Ms. April whispered, causing me to giggle.

"Welcome to Outdoor Class!" Mr. Lamont announced. The students cheered and I hurriedly went to the front. "Students, give a warm welcome to Kate, our Outdoor Class teacher for today." The students cheered again as I blushed and waved. I wondered it I looked as cool as Crawford had at our Outdoor Class. Sadly, I doubted it.

"Now, for the Outdoor Class's main event-the Question and Answer Session of Terror!" Ms. April said loudly. I gulped.

"Did you get good grades in school?" A boy asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. Pretty good." I replied awkwardly. That wasn't the kind of question I was exactly expecting.

"Is your job busy?" A girl asked.

"Very." I said. "But it's well worth it."

"Have you ever seen a real Gigaremo?" A boy asked excitedly.

"Seen one? My mentor and I discovered them." I said. The students muttered amongst themselves excitedly.

"Hehehe... Are you in love with someone?" A girl that reminded me extraordinarily of Amy asked mischeivously while her friends giggled hysterically behind her.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. Was it just me, or did my ruby necklace seem to grow hot? "W-well, not exactly, b-but... You! You're next!" I said, pointing to the crowd at random.

"Have you captured more than a hundred Pokemon?" A boy asked.

"Not sure, but I kinda doubt it." I replied, scratching the back of my head thoughtfully. "Probably pretty close, though."

"Is something bad happening in Almia?" A girl asked nervously. The atmosphere grew somber as the children looked at me hopefully.

"Yes." I sighed. "But don't worry. Us Rangers are going to take care of it. Remember, if you see any Dim Sun members, don't confront them. Get out of there and let a Ranger know ASAP. Got it?" They all nodded.

"Is it true that Rangers don't get home often?" A boy asked, looking worried.

"It depends; if your family lives nearby, you can usually sneak in for a quick visit while on patrol. But even if they're out of region, you get a couple days off each month, so you can visit them then." I replied. The boy sighed in relief.

"Can I touch your awesome Styler?" A girl asked.

"Uhhh... Sure, why not?" I said, holding out my wrist. She brushed her fingers over it, staring at it rapturously before Mr. Wilson cleared his throat and she went back to her friends.

"What do you wear when you go to bed?" A boy asked, his friends giggling behind him.

"Kid, did someone dare you to ask that?" I asked suspiciously.

"Uh..." The boy said, glancing behind him at his hysterical friends.

"Oh, no, we'll have none of that!" Ms. April cried. "Jamie, I want to see you and your friends after class. Anyone else have a question?"

"Yoohoo! I have a question!" I whirled around to see the Dim Sun goons from before run up to the class. I gathered the students behind me and told them to stay put.

"What do you want? Unless you just came back for seconds? Usually one serving's enough for you goon types." I said.

"Oh, no, I just have a question; dear Ranger, why did you have to mess with us earlier?" The admin asked. "You know what? Don't answer that. We just want payback! Get the kids!"

"Back off! Pachirisu, Discharge!" I yelled. Pachirisu cried and let loose with her electricity. She hit the goon, but the admin charged at the kids. "Not on my watch!" I cried, tackling him.

We rolled for a few yards, hitting, punching, biting, and scratching each other like a pair of fighting cats until I finally threw him off. He fell to the ground, and Pachirisu hit him with Discharge, this time not missing. He yelled in pain, then got up.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Ranger Girl! Don't you forget it!" He yelled, running off with his teammate across the bridge.

There was a silence, and a student yelled, "The Ranger saved the day!" And they all cheered. Let me tell you, there's nothing like a crowd of children cheering for you to make you feel loved.

"Kate? Are you okay?" Mr. Lamont asked.

"Fine, sir. Just a few bruises. That goon couldn't hit worth nothing." I assured him.

"Excuse me, Kate? May I ask one last question?" A boy asked.

"Sure thing. Fire away." I said.

"Is it fun being a Pokemon Ranger?" He asked. I paused, then smiled.

"Absolutely."

"You're back!" Crawford said when I walked into the Ranger Base. "Heard about the ruckus with Dim Sun at the Outdoor Class. You okay? You have bruises."

"I'm fine. Minor fistfight, nothing I couldn't handle." I said easily.

"Well, if you're up to it, what say you and I go out on patrol? You still have much to learn, young grasshopper." Crawford suggested. I laughed.

"That'd be great, my master." I retorted. "Race you to Chicole!" I sprinted off, Crawford running close behind. I laughed; despite everything that was going on, despite team Dim Sun, despite my friends being across an ocean, I was happy today. And nothing was going to ruin that. Nothing.


End file.
